Blog Synopsis- Pauline White s0173523

E-Learning is integral in the classroom context
As our society becomes a knowledge-based economy more emphasis is placed on the role of information, technology and learning, because they are now considered the drivers of economic growth and productivity. (OECD, 1996, p. 5). "Arguably, no greater period of our times requires all individuals to learn how to critically confront and judge our digital…choices, how to understand the rules at play so we may manage the very phenomenon we call technology, whether this task is as user, maintainer, chooser, observer, innovator, educator or manager" (Seemann, 2007, p.75). In many schooling systems around the world, irrespective of financial situations, the case for technology as a component of general education is driving specific curriculum innovations. (Keirl, 2007, p.63) A key learning and assessment focus of the Essential Learnings across all key learning areas and all year junctures states that students should purposefully select and use tools and technologies, including communication technologies (Queensland Studies Authority, 2007, p.1). By implementing these suggested curriculum guidelines and incorporating e-learning in the classroom, teachers will help students develop the general capabilities in the proposed national curriculum. These capabilities include; information communication technology, thinking skills, ethical behaviour, creativity, self-management, teamwork, intercultural understanding and social competence. (ACARA, 2010, p 7).

E-learning provides opportunities for learning enrichment and lifelong learning, as it takes students beyond face-to face interaction and allows them to enter a world of technological tools. (Holmes & Gardner, 2006, p. 2). These technological tools of e-learning develop skills and practices such as; understanding, applying, discussing, creating, analyzing, collaboration skills, testing, exploring, selecting, searching, promoting and synthesizing. (Holmes & Gardner, 2006, p. 3). The educational value of e-learning is clearly phenomenal as it promotes higher order thinking and develops the attributes of an informed global citizen. (Holmes & Gardner, 2006, p. 31). As a future learning manager, I can also identify how e-learning will promote positive attitudes and perceptions in my classroom context. I recognize that students have also changed with the rapid shifts in society and therefore my approach to education must change with the times. My students have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, digital music players, video cameras, and all other tools of the digital age. (Prensky, 2001, p. 1). Therefore I acknowledge the need to include these tools and e-learning opportunities into my classroom context. By incorporating technological tools with my learning experiences, I will create engaging and relevant tasks for my students, structure opportunities for group work and provide different mediums that will allow my students to consider knowledge through a variety of sense. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, pp. 40-41).

Personal development and exploration of e- learning tools and technologies
The Queensland Department of Education and Training (2010) clearly acknowledged the importance of e-learning within schools by introducing the Smart Classroom strategy. The main goals of this strategy are to promote lifelong learning by extensively using ICTs to improve students’ learning and to create efficiencies in delivering education and school administration. The initiative hopes to empower educators with new technologies so that they can establish learning pathways that are engaging and meaningful to the students. The Smart Classroom strategy will promote the formation of partnerships between schools and wider communities so that learning opportunities are broadened. The overriding aim of the Smart Classrooms strategy is to make ICT integral to the learning journey. (The Queensland Department of Education and Training, 2010).

As a future learning manager planning to work for Education Queensland I recognize the importance of developing my personal competencies on these e-learning principles, as they are an integral part of education now and for the future. Over the past six weeks, I have used a web log to expand and enhance my existing repertoire of technological competencies. I have discovered, analysed and discussed a variety of e-learning tools and methodologies with my peers. The pedagogical advantages of these technology tools are endless as their plethora of uses correlate with the learning process and Dimensions of Learning framework. The integration of technological tools in the classroom will help develop positive attitudes and perceptions and provide opportunities for students to acquire and integrate knowledge, extend and refine knowledge and use knowledge meaningfully. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, pp. 4-5). Each technological tool investigated offered multiple benefits for the learning process. For the purpose of this synopsis I have allocated the technological tools into five categories; accessing and gaining knowledge, consolidating and refining knowledge, transforming information into new understandings and engagement purposes. Simply click on each tool to examine the deeper evaluation on my web log.

Access and gain information
Weebly Websites
LMS- Learning Management Systems
RSS Reader

Consolidate and refine knowledge
Web logs
Etherpads
Wiki
Concept Maps –Bubbl.us

Transform information into new understanding
Images
Learning objects
Skype

Present knowledge to audience
Digital Video/Movie Maker
PowerPoint
Prezi

Engagement Purposes
Vodcasts
Podcast
Voki

Looking at the technological tools through a lens
I have further reflected on one tool from each category using research, learning theories and frameworks such as; Dimensions of Learning (Marzano & Pickering, 1997)., The Big 6 Framework (Eisenberg, Johnson and Berkowitz, 2010)., The Engagement Theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999)., and Bloom’s (1956) Taxonomy.

Access and gain information
Weebly Websites
I have identified Weebly as a superb tool to create websites or WebQuests that can be used to guide my students when gaining and accessing new information. An inquiry based approach to learning could be encouraged through the use of this tool as a step by step procedure or even advanced organizer questions can be structured on the Weebly to scaffold students’ research and thinking processes. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997). Higher order thinking and constructive thinking abilities would be developed because I could structure tasks on the Weebly to promote depth of perception, organisation of thinking, interaction, creativity, information and feeling, and action. (Killen, 2003, p 31). I found this Weebly tool correlated with The Big 6 Framework (Eisenberg, Johnson and Berkowitz, 2010). and the TELSTAR inquiry approach. I further discussed these connections with one of my peers. By considering The Big 6 Framework when using Weebly to design a WebQuest I would increase my students’ chances of success. This framework allows for smooth transfer through Bloom’s (1956) Taxonomy of educational objectives as students progress from lower order cognition tasks of knowledge recall, comprehension and application to higher order tasks of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. (Brady, 2006, pp. 24-26).

Weebly not only aids students’ knowledge acquisition but helps improve attitudes and perceptions within the classroom. The guided journey developed within the WebQuest design promotes positive attitudes and perceptions about tasks as students feel they have required resources and ability to complete the task. The clear directions and demands of the tasks provided within the WebQuest further promote positive attitudes and perceptions. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, pp. 30-34). Positive attitudes and perceptions about classroom climate are also developed throughout this Weebly tool, because I would be able to cater for students’ individual difference as the WebQuest would allow me to expose students to a variety of mediums and resources available on the World Wide Web. This tool would enable me to include extension activities for advanced students and allow me to structure self paced and independent tasks for students to access and complete at home and school. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 18).

Consolidate and refine knowledge
Web logs
When I first encountered web logging, I was quite narrow-minded and merely saw it as way for students to reflect and record their own thoughts and learning. However as I became more actively involved with using the tool, I discovered more potential for its place in the classroom (see blog entry and discussion with peer). I realized blogging is not only a means of reflective writing but has great value in terms of developing critical thinking skills, writing and reading abilities and engages students in sustained conversation as they consolidate and refine their knowledge with one another. (Downes, 2004). This online discussion between students correlates with Vygotsky’s social constructionist theory because it promotes collaborative inquiry through which individuals appropriate information in terms of their own understanding and involvement in the activity. (McInerney& McInerney, 2006, p. 4). These substantive conversations promote higher intellectual thinking qualities. (Education Queensland, 2002).

Blogging further extends and refines students’ knowledge by developing the complex reasoning processes of analyzing perspectives and analyzing errors. Through reading their peers’ blogs students can identify multiple perspectives on issues and thus broaden their own understandings. Identifying and analyzing errors in peers’ thinking is another process developed because peer collaboration, constructive criticism and peer evaluation are all possibilities when using blogs in the classroom. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p. 114). One of my major concerns with using blogs and online communication tools was the risks and dangers of cyber activity. Although further investigation and discussion with peers about these concerns has made me less hesitant as I realize there are resources available to help me equip my students with knowledge and skills to be cyber safe (see blog entry and discussion).

Transform information into new understanding
Images
According to Callow (1999) visual literacy helps to extend concepts beyond being able to read and write print to encompass ideas about how we communicate in our culture through images. Therefore students need to develop meaning making systems that enable them to identify the multiple perspectives incorporated within an image. At first I considered the use of images just a means of engaging students but have further developed these ideas in a discussion with my colleague, Kelly Blood. While viewing Kelly’s blog I came across an interesting article by Fetherston. Fetherston (2003, p.17). claims that students increased access to means of producing, viewing and manipulating images places greater emphasis on the visual aspect of the classroom culture. New technology such as MobaPhoto, Picasa Photo Viewer and Search-Cube provide teachers and students easy access to the production and manipulation of images in their classroom. (Fetherston, 2008, p. 17).

When images are utilised in the classroom they “…are brought into the world of discourse and meanings are constructed from and through them” (Fetherston, 2008, p. 29). This in turn provokes higher order cognition skills of Bloom’s Taxonomy as students analyse, synthesize and evaluate the various aspects within the image. (Brady, 2006, pp. 24-26). Using images in the classroom requires students to consider various perspectives, social aspects and cultural influences and thus promotes intellectual qualities through the Productive Pedagogies of Higher Order Thinking, Substantive Conversation and Problematic Knowledge. (Education Queensland, 2002). Connectedness is also promoted with images in the classroom as student background knowledge and connections to the world beyond the classroom help them to construct meaning and develop ideas. (Education Queensland, 2002). The brain understands and remembers best when facts and skills are embedded in the natural spatial memory. Hence the use of realistic and engaging images promotes experiential learning and in turn invokes spatial memory. (Caine & Caine, 1990, p.69).

Present knowledge to audience
Digital Video/Movie Maker
Through my own experience and reflection on this tool I realized the significant impact digital video can have in my classroom as it offers multimodal opportunities for learning. This multimodal approach to learning is identified as more effective than traditional, unimodal learning. The addition of visuals to text and/or auditory learning can produce improvements in basic and higher-order learning. Multimodal learning enables students to build automaticity with basic knowledge and skills because retention is improved through words and pictures rather than through words alone. (Metiri Group, 2008, P.14). Further discussion on my blog with my peers helped me identify various ways to use digital video in my classroom to encourage students to use their knowledge meaningfully. By including digital video as an engaging assessment task in the classroom, I will encourage my students to make decisions about production techniques, solve problems through group collaboration and invent unique video presentations. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p.191).

Kearney & Schuck (2004) also recognize the learning benefits and claim that digital video develops a variety of literacies, provides authentic learning contexts, encourages collaborative learning skills, engages and motivates learners, promotes expression and communication, enhances technological skills and provides students with the necessary skills for the 21st century. Using digital video as a collaborative task within the classroom correlates with the fundamental idea underlying the Engagement Theory. This tool would enable me to construct meaningful learning opportunities through peer interaction and worthwhile tasks. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999).

Engagement Purposes
Voki
Bruner (1996) claims that learning should be “…participatory, proactive, communal, collaborative and given over to the construction of meanings rather than receiving them” (Cited Brady, 2006, pp. 7-8). I think by using a Voki in my future classroom I will be able to engage and construct meaningfully and relevant learning contexts for my students. A further discussion with my colleague raised my attention to using a Voki as an extra teaching resource to provide multiple perspectives on a topic or simply take a character in role-play simulations. Vokis not only help develop positive attitudes and perceptions by making task meaningful and relevant. They also help to cater for students’ individual differences and learning preferences by offering another multimodal medium in the classroom. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, pp. 18-32). A one-size-fits-all approach to learning design is inappropriate and research suggests a balanced multimodal approach to e-learning is required to cater for our media-rich society. (Willems, 2009).

Future Practice
After experimenting and analyzing a wide variety of technological tools, I can confidently appreciate the benefits of e-learning within the classroom context. I endeavour to be a lifelong learner and constantly up skill my e-learning knowledge so that I can facilitate multimodal learning and engage the ‘digital natives’ within my future classroom.

Click here for References.

Click here for the links to my discussions with peers.

Learning Objects

Hello everyone,

I have always heard teachers and university lecturers encourage the use of Learning Objects in the classroom. Although I have never used one myself and always found the search process in the Learning Place, Curriculum Exchange a daunting and unsuccessful task. Last week in our Managing E-learning lecture we explored Curriculum Exchange and Learning Objects in more detail and I discovered the value of these interactive tools. A learning object can be defined as "…any digital resource that can be reused to support learning" (Wiley, 2000, p. 7). They can be a single file such as an animation, a video clip, and even text or a collection of contextualised files that make up a learning sequence. These digital resources offer an efficient way to facilitate instruction of commonly taught concepts, procedures, applications, and skills.

I recently conducted a science investigation into friction with my grade six class and prior to commencing the lesson revised the concept of fair testing. I thought the students would easily recall their prior knowledge on fair testing, however was surprised because only three students in the class could remember the change, measure and keep everything the same concept. I believe using a learning object like “Elsie and the Golden Cows” would have helped students grasp these fundamental principles of fair testing as its interactive and engaging fictional story highlights the key concepts involved. The interactive and experiential opportunities within this Learning Object allow students to develop their natural spatial knowledge. Principle ten of brain based learning suggests the brain understands and remembers best when facts and skills are embedded in the natural spatial memory. Hence realistic, engaging and hands-on Learning Objects promote experiential learning and in turn invokes spatial memory. (Caine & Caine, 1990, p.69).

In the future I will make a conscious effort to utilize Learning Objects as they are a valuable resource for the classroom. I have further explored the benefits of Learning Objects with my peers, Kristen and Anna, as we discussed Gizmos. Gizmos are online Learning Objects that provide interactive simulations for Science and Mathematics. This discussion about Gizmos can be accessed here.

Cyber Safety

Hi All,

Throughout my discovery of these technological tools I have recognized the fun and exciting activities that can be enjoyed by our students. The World Wide Web and digital communication tools offer a plethora of opportunities but as a future learning manager the risk of cyber bullying and inappropriate exposure has always be a concerning factor for me. I conducted a Google search on the risks of cyber activity and came across a cyber safety website designed by the Australian Government. This site can be accessed here and is a very useful resource to help develop awareness and effective strategies to promote cyber safety. The site looks at issues of cyber bullying, unwanted contact, inappropriate content, legalities and netiquette. I personally believe by educating our students about these important issues we are equipping with the necessary skills to use this modern technology in an appropriate, safe and ethical manner. These skills will help our student be successful users as they will know how to respond to the unexpected incidents and situations that can occur online.

Knowing that there are helpful sites and strategies available to promote cyber safety reassures my concern about dangers of the World Wide Web. I endeavour not only to provide students with opportunities to use online tools but will explicit develop their knowledge and coping strategies to ensure their cyber safety. Let me know how you feel about cyber safety.

Etherpads

Hi everyone,

After reading Kate Pollard’s blog about Etherpads I decided to trial this tool for myself. I discussed with Kate how this tool can possibly connect with The Engagement Theory. This discussion can be accessed here. Kate suggested using PrimaryPad to trial this tool.

After attempting to use the tool, I can see the great potential for the classroom context. Etherpad is a web-based word document that allows teachers and students to collaborate on a project. Each contribution is represented in a different colour and the program also allows students to instant message online. I believe this tool would make group work and the peer editing process a lot easier to manage and monitor. The tool is quite secure as one can determine who has access to view and edit the pad.

The PrimaryPad site offers 5 suggestions for using PrimaryPad in the classroom context, this can be accessed here. I can see great potential for using this tool with middle and upper primary, but I think this tool could pose some problems for the early years. I have never been in an early year classroom so this is just an assumption. I would love to hear your thoughts about the use of Etherpads in the early year context.

Cheers

Pauline

Skype

Hi everyone,

Skype is a free online service that allows you to make voice and video calls over the internet. There are also features within Skype that allow you to send instant messages and file attachments to your fellow Skype contacts. I currently use Skype on a regular basis to communicate with my family and friends in South Africa and Europe.

I would never have considered using Skype in the classroom context. After an E-learning tutorial at Noosa Hub, I realized many teachers do use Skype to communicate with sister schools and the wider community both locally and on an international level. The example presented in the tutorial was an early years class communicating with an international sister school in Africa about their different cultures. I found this an amazing and engaging task developed by the teacher. I believe offering these global connections and developing this multicultural approach to education is vital for our students, as they need to become informed citizens on a global scale. Skype is a very useful tool to aid this process.

After conducting a Google search on Skype in the classroom I located a great site called TeachingDegree. This site offers 50 ways to use Skype in the classroom and can be accessed here. I particularly like the idea about using Skype to allow students to chat with authors and illustrators to encourage narrative creation. This example makes me acknowledge that Skype not only connects students to the local and global community but also gives them access to experts and guest speakers. I have conducted a brief SWOT analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of Skype.

Strength
-Inexpensive means of communication with wider community.
-Exposes students to broad range of perspectives on topics.
-Engages students in authentic tasks.
-Encourages oral communication skills.
-Provides access to experts and guest speakers.

Weaknesses
-Heavily reliant on equipment such as headsets and microphones
-Difficult to monitor entire class during Skype conferences.
-Could offer another forum for cyber bullying
-Students might be shy and not want to communicate with an unfamiliar audience.

Opportunities
-Broaden students’ horizons.
-Develop deep and educational conversations
-Invite experts and other professional to be part of the learning journey

Threats
-Cyber bullying could ruin the experience.
-Parents could contest children talking to “strangers” offer the internet.
-Could attract inappropriate attention and have strangers add them as a contact.

Does anyone know if there is a more secure way to use Skype so that unknown contacts can not access our students?

These are some of my thoughts on Skype, please let me know what you think.

Digital Video

Hi all,

I personally love the idea of encouraging students to use digital video software like MovieMaker. As a future learning manager I intend to use this software to create engaging and multimodal resources for my classroom. I can reflect on the use of digital video as an assessment tool because during The Arts course at CQUniversity I was encouraged to use MovieMaker to present my personal belief on the Arts as key learning area in schools. I have to admit, I was very anxious about this task as I had minimal exposure to the software program. Nevertheless I persisted with the task and thoroughly enjoyed the process once I passed the initial anxieties. The program is quite user friendly and I love being able to look back on what I created during the course. I believe by embedding digital video into the assessment, the lecturers managed to create an engaging task for a topic that was quite mundane as it focused on curriculum and policy material. Therefore I believe as learner managers we can also use digital video to make learning appealing to our students.

Kearney & Schuck (2004) also recognize the learning benefits and claim that digital video;
-develops a variety of literacies
-provides authentic learning
-encourages collaborative learning skills
-engages and motivates learners
-promotes expression and communication
- enhances technological skills
-provides students with the necessary skills for the 21st century.

Using digital video in the classroom encourages the constructivist learning approaches to be implemented in a variety of learning areas because students develop knowledge and understanding from meaningful experiences. (Kearney & Schuck, 2004). Within this Kearney and Schuck article further claims are made about digital video developing deep conceptual understandings. A study conducted by Ross, Yerrick and Molebash (2003) identified how digital video can develop deeper scientific understandings by using cameras to record procedures and observations over time. Using this digital video within science promotes consistency and accuracy of scientific investigations as it allows students to review findings with closer observation. As we all know time is a factor in the classroom and having this option to review observations allows teachers to revisit the task with a clear visual stimulus for students.

Science is not the only learning area to benefit from digital video. This technological tool offers a plethora of opportunities in the classroom context. Some possible uses in the classroom could include;
-Creative assessment tasks for students such as photo story recounts or claymation stories.
-Teachers can create engaging resources that set the scene for learning.
-Digital video can be used to record the learning journey so that knowledge can be revisited at a later date.
-Digital videos of students’ progress can be produced as a gift for caregivers at the end of the year.
-Recorded evidence of students’ progress can be used to identify achievement of desired outcomes.
-Teachers can place digital videos on virtual classroom to give caregivers insight into their child’s learning journey.

I understand that this tool can be quite time consuming, requires access to equipment and that task for younger students will need to be highly scaffolded. However I believe the amazing benefits surpass these slight inconveniences and that digital video definitely has a role in the classroom context. Please let me know if you see any problems with using digital video in the classroom as I am struggling to find any major disadvantages of this tool.

Using Vodcast In The Classroom

Hi all,

Vodcasts like podcasts help support the learning journey for our students. You-tube is one of the most popular sites used for video sharing. I know that I already use You-tube on a regular basis for the classroom context and acknowledge the impact it has on my students. Although, like all novelty tools I believe that an overuse of You-tube can reduce its impact and effect. I also believe that videos selected must have a specific purpose such as engagement, motivation, educational or provide students with a connection to the real world context. Ultimately as learner managers we must think critically when selecting a video for the classroom context to ensure it is beneficial and worthwhile.

I have embedded an Earth Hour video as an example. I would use this video in my year six class to engage the students into the global warming unit. I believe the personal connections to the Sydney event, real-life news clips and visual images presented in this video will engage the learners and help them acknowledge that they also play a role in global warming.
I honestly love using You-tube and believe there is a video available for every key learning area.

Let me know how you feel about You-tube.

Podcasts

Hello Everyone,

I tried to use MyPodcast to create my own podcast. Unfortunately the site is not registering any more applicants. I used a Google search to discover another free pod casting site called PodOmatic. You can view my Podcast at the end of this blog posting.

I have to admit I knew very little about podcasts prior to commencing this course. I know my previous university use to podcast lectures so that students could access and review the content online. In our on-campus lecture podcasts were described as Personal on Demand Casts. According to Chan, Lee & McLoughlin (2006.) podcasts allow the target audience to listen to the content at a convenient time and place as they can be downloaded to one’s computer as they become available. These files can be transferred to devices such iPods and MP3 player.

The CQU moodle site for week four has identified some uses of podcasts in the classroom. I have discussed some of the uses with my colleague, Emily and this discussion can be viewed here. The Langwitches blog, The Magic of Learning raises some great points about using podcasts in the classroom and gives some great examples. This blog site can be accessed here. After reviewing various readings and creating my own podcast, I have identified various positives and negatives for using podcasts in the classroom. I have identified these through a PMI analysis.

Positive
-Students can access content at a convenient place at anytime of the day.
-Allow learners to develop listening skills as they do not rely of visual senses.
-High level of social cachet for younger students in particular
-Develop a wide range of skills such as; collaboration skills, writing skills, speaking skills, presentation skills, communication skills, oral fluency, auditory skills, digital storytelling skills, media literacy, information literacy and technology skills.
-Integrate multiple skills in the learning process.
-Engage and motivate students.
-Introduce students to a new medium in the classroom.
- Parents can access the content and understand what their children are learning about.
-Model appropriate oral communication skills.
-Create collaborative tasks such as class story telling
-Allow student to recognize positives and benefits in peers’ work and thus learn from each other.
-Model appropriate use of voice such as intonation, volume and expression.

Negative
-Heavy reliance on technology and equipment availability
- Time consuming task, particularly for younger years.
-Does not cater for the visual and kinesthetic learners.
-Students may not like how their voice sounds recorded.

Interesting
-Podcasts are audio files only, whilst vodcasts are video podcast and can be easily produced and accessed.
-Specific constraints and clear guidelines must be used to ensure students stay on task.

These are my thoughts on the podcasting tool and I look forward to hearing what you think.

VOKI

Hi Everyone,

I was unable to make my own Podcast on MyPodcast as the site was not taking anymore applications for registration. Therefore I went off and discovered more about Vokis. You can see the Voki I designed in the sidebar of my blog.

Voki is a combination of "vox", which is Latin for voice, and "Loki", which is a prankster character in Norse Mythology. The origin of the word Voki also describes its purpose because a Voki enables users to express their “voice” through a customized character.

When I designed my own Voki, I was unsure how to embed this tool into my blog and therefore performed a Google search. The search results introduced to me to a fantastic blog called The EduBlogger. This blog gave me clear instructions on how to embed Voki and also outline some interesting ideas for using a Voki in the classroom. Some of these ideas included;

-Creating avatars that are similar to the students and having students record a message that tells the class about themselves. This is a great idea for introductions at the beginning of the year and an engaging way to profile students.
- Students with English as a second language or students with low literacy skills can use the speaking avatars to practice and listen to their speech. They may use the computerised voice first then record their own voice when they feel more comfortable. Writing, reading and pronunciation are all practiced.
-Students can create an avatar to represent a character from a story. This character can then be used to present a creative point of view from the character on an event within the plot.
Further suggestions from The EduBlogger can be accessed here.

A few of my colleagues have also had some experience with Vokis. Kim Thompson suggested using a Voki as an “additional teacher” within her year 3/4 classroom. I agreed with Kim and further suggested using a Voki for role-play or creating “expert” characters. This discussion can be seen here.

I see the great potential in using a Voki. However I found that the intonation and pronunciation used by the generic voice does not suit our Australian accent and can be misleading for students. I understand that one can record their own voice but I wonder if there is any other way to adjust the accent and add intonation to the Voki generic voice. If any one has any ideas I would love to hear them.

Images in the classroom

Hi All,

I personally believe images offer great potential in the classroom as they are an important component of our culture. We encounter images throughout our day, as they are used to entertain us, persuade us with advertising and provide vital information through an easy access medium. I think images and visuals are becoming a major part of our society and students are encountering them on a more regular basis. Therefore we as future learning managers must expose our students to a range of images and develop the visual literacy required to be an informed and critical thinking citizen.

According to Callow (1999) visual literacy helps to extend the concept of literacy beyond being able to read and write print to encompass ideas about how we communicate in our culture through images. Therefore students need to develop meaning making systems that enable them to understand images that:
-"Represent actions, objects, and settings
-Create interactive or interpersonal meanings between the viewer and what is viewed by the use of features such as colour, angles, shot distance, and type of media employed (e.g., photos, clip art, diagrams, etc.)
-Present layout choices that indicate the value of or emphasis on particular elements within an image, such as the salience (attention-gaining aspect) of a particular object or piece of text." (Callow, 1999.)
Callow’s article looks further into the importance of visual literacy and is a great read to understand the importance of using images and visual aids in the classroom. This article can be accessed online here.

I explored some online image sites recently as my grade six class is starting a unit on global warming. I found this “world in your hands” image on Flickr and believe it would be great to provoke thinking and emotions in my students. A discussion of what this image means to the students could help guide students into acknowledging that they have a role as global citizens and that their actions can affect our world. Therefore by providing this image I am connecting students emotionally to content and creating positive attitudes and perceptions to the global warming content because student will be encouraged to see the task as relevant and meaningful. (Marzano & Pickering, 1997) Another online tool I found useful when searching for relevant images for my global warming focus was search-cube.com. This site is a search engine that gathers relevant images and video files for your target content. It then compiles its findings into a handy cube arrangement. I believe presenting this cube to students would be a great method to engage them in the unit, however one would have to review all images prior to ensure all material is appropriate.

Overall images offer multiple benefits for the classroom context. My colleague, Kelly Blood has performed a PMI analysis on Images in the classroom and I have added further to this analysis. This discussion can be accessed here.

Image retrieved from Flickr.

LMS- Learning Management Systems

Hello Everyone,

During week three, I registered to make my own Learning Management System. Unfortunately, due to an excessive backlog I was unable to create my own system. Although, we are all frequent users of LMS systems like Moodle and Blackboard. I will in turn reflect on this tool from my own experience. As a learner using LMS I have mixed feelings about the tool.

I like being able to access information, resources, course guidelines at any time of the night and day. The organization of Moodle is easy to navigate and locating resources is quite easy. It is also great to be able to contribute and discuss concerns with my peers and lecturers in forums. However, I really do think the on-campus lectures compliment this Learning Management System and I would feel totally overwhelmed if I was a FLEX student and only had Moodle as my learning tool. This could come down to my auditory and social learning preferences. I would be interested to know if anyone would prefer to just use the Moodle system.

When I consider my own feelings about the LMS, I’m not sure if I would use it as a major teaching tool in my classroom. This system can be quite daunting for the students and therefore I believe focused scaffolding would be essential when implementing this tool in the primary classroom context. Learning Managements Systems can be incorporated in the classroom context through virtual classrooms or Blackboard systems developed by Queensland Education’s Learning Place. I have conducted a brief SWOT analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of LMS in the classroom.

Strengths
- Organised structure within the system
- Access available 24/7 for teachers, students and parents
- Time efficiency as tasks can be accessed at home
- Online quizzes can be incorporated in system to monitor learning process
- Communication and reminders through announcements
- Collaborative learning through discussion forums
- Encourages independent learning
- Provide students with a range of resources they wouldn’t normally access
- Password protected system

Weaknesses
-Pressure on students to monitor learning and pace themselves
-Minimal personal contact and thus students cannot instantly ask for help and get an answer
-Does not cater for the auditory or social learners
-Overwhelming and could deter some students engagement with topic

Opportunities
-Parent involvement increased and thus multiple perspectives included in classroom
-Extension resources can be included for advanced students to access
-Monitor students’ engagement with task materials and conduct formative quizzes
-Safety of computer screen allows shy, quiet students to voice their opinions
-Exposure to new technologies

Threats
-Computer access at home might pose problems
-Discussion boards could open opportunities for online bullying and thus expectations must be clearly outlined prior to implementation of system
-Independent learning could cause a large gap between members of the class with students being at different task completion levels.

Let me know how you feel about this system and if you think it is restricted to a certain age group.

Cheers Pauline

RSS READER

Hi Followers,

I have recently set up my own RSS reader through my Google account. By setting up this tool I am able to manage my favourite sites and the blogs that I follow through the one easy access location. This has made life a lot easier and saved time as I don’t have to navigate around the web to multiple sites.

RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". This definition reflects the tool as it is a simple way to easily access a list of headlines, updated notices, and sometimes content at one location. Therefore websites whose content changes on unpredictable schedules can now be continuously monitored. The notifications through RSS reader are organized according to the latest feeds and are presented in an easy to follow format.

Most websites have RSS feeds and are represented by a little orange icon, once you know the URL of an RSS feed, you can provide that address to an RSS reader program and it will monitor the feed for you.

Some common uses for RSS readers are:
-Notification of the arrival of new products in a store online
-Listing and notifying you of newsletter issues, including email newsletters
-Weather, news and other alerts of changing conditions
-Notification of additions of new items to a database, or new members to a group
-Blog updates

Some Possible uses for the learning manager could include:
· Monitoring of students’ blogs, forums, and wikis
· Keeping to update with the fellow colleagues’ and professional experts’ opinions
· Staying informed about the latest technology and educational tools on the market
· Sharing global news notifications with the class and ensuring globally aware citizens are developed

I believe the key benefit of RSS reader is that it reduces time by managing a large amount of websites. With the speed of today’s society, time is of essence to all of us. I am grateful to have discovered this new tool and believe it will be a great advantage in my future classroom.

Regards Pauline

Web logging- Discovering More Potential

Hi Everyone,

I know I have already commented about blogs as a tool in the classroom. However as I get more familiar with this tool, I am discovering more benefits of its use. I have now realized that blogging is not just about journal entries and it can really encourage students to learn together and help one another out. Therefore this tool caters for different ability levels as it gives struggling students the opportunity to ask for help and encourages peer tutoring. For instance, one of our peers Anna was having difficulty with converting documents to picture files and in an attempt to help I offered her my strategy. This discussion can be viewed here. Let me know if you agree with this great benefit of web-logging.
Cheers Pauline

PowerPoint in the classroom

Hi Everyone,

I can remember PowerPoint being a vital tool used in the classroom when I was a little girl and still believe it has a place in our classrooms today. Although I have used PowerPoint before, I found the PowerPoint tutorials offered in week three of Managing E-learning very helpful as I was introduced to some new and easier techniques of using PowerPoint. The first step during the scaffolding process was to create an organizational chart in word to map the plan of the presentation. I had never done this before but in reflection believe it is a very important step and I will encourage my future students to do the same. The next step of the scaffolding tutorial was to design the outline of the presentation in a word document and send it to PowerPoint. Once again I had never done this before and can recognize the benefits of this scaffolding process. By approaching PowerPoint through this scaffolded design approach, one will reduce the risk of overemphasizing gadgets and keep the focus on the target content. I have identified some positives and negatives of the PowerPoint tool.

Positives
1. PowerPoint is fun to watch and fun to make.
2. Used correctly, PowerPoint can accommodate all learners' needs.
3. It has a spell-check function and can be edited
4. It motivates students when used in moderation.
5. It motivates staff.
6. PowerPoint allows you to reflect on your lesson and correct any needed changes.
7. PowerPoint can be accessed and reused at a later date to revise concepts.
8. You can print out what you did in class for students that were absent. Or one could turn the accountability on to students and post presentations on-line.
9. PowerPoint is not hard to learn and there is a help tab available on the tool.

Negatives
1. Content can sometimes take a back seat to gadgets and “tricks”.
2. Computers crash, networks go down, viruses can plague computers and a back-up plan is needed.
3. Overuse can diminish PowerPoint's effectiveness and become boring for students.
4. Classrooms need large monitors or projectors to display presentations.

Overall PowerPoint is a wonderful tool and for learning in both a student and teacher-directed situation, as it can add a new dimension to learning. It allows teachers to explain abstract concepts, while accommodating all learning styles. PowerPoint is also an achievable task for children to produce to demonstrate their understanding of the topic. As future learning managers we must just be aware of PowerPoint Paralysis. Triple "P" can be defined as the over use of gadgets and effects that prolong the PowerPoint experience and as a result distract the learners from the key concept being taught.

Nevertheless there is great potential for PowerPoint in the classroom such as:
- general overviews of the topic avoids note taking
- lively games/ quizzes for students (like million dollar question)
- Interesting visual aids for oral presentations

This list could go on. I recently used PowerPoint to design a Deal or No Deal game for a subtraction lesson with my students. The students were engaged by the different medium and seemed to enjoy the game. This just goes to show by using a PowerPoint correctly one can make a somewhat dry and mundane topic engaging for the students. Let me know what you think about PowerPoint and what examples you have seen in the classroom contexts.

Regards Pauline.

Prezi- The Zooming Presentation Editor

Hi All,

When I first watched the instructional video on Prezi, I thought it would be an amazing tool for the classroom as it was quite different and engaging compared to the normal presentation ideas of PowerPoint or posters. After attempting to make a Prezi, I am not as enthusiastic about the tool. I found the task quite difficult, time consuming and frustrating. These negatives make me hesitant to use this tool in the classroom context.

Nevertheless I have discussed some more positives, negatives and possible usages of this tool with Kelly Blood. You can access this discussion here.
My Prezi is designed around the priorities in my life and can be viewed here.

Cheers Pauline.

Weebly

Hi All,

I somehow managed to work my way around the Weebly tool to design my own website. You can my view my website by clicking here. Overall I found this task quite easy to complete as the clear tabs and available help icon scaffolded the design process. Personally I believe this technological tool provides two major benefits for the classroom. Weebly can be used to scaffold the learning journey and engage student in a designed WebQuest/ inquiry task or it can simply be an engaging assessment task to escape the overused poster or PowerPoint assessment tasks. I have identified some pros and cons of these two situations.

Using Weebly as an engaging assessment task for students
(E.g. presentation of Australian Parliament and its functions in a creative website.)

Advantages
-Engaging and authentic task for students incorporating web design into other KLAs
-Ownership and responsibility for work as it is published on the wide web
-Easy functions for students to manipulate
-Promotes creativity
-Encourages thorough understanding of target content because students need to explain their understanding to others.
-Gives scope for collaboration with peers depending on the size of the task
-Could be used as an extension task for student as oppose to the ordinary PowerPoint or poster tasks
-Students and caregivers can access websites from home.

Disadvantages
-Students with minimal exposure to technology will need extra support and computer labs made available
-Students might lose focus on content and target editing functions of the website
-School computer labs are high in demand and this might hinder the completion of the task
-Parents might become too heavily involved in the construction process and thus task will not present child’s ability levels
-Unlike the features of a wiki, only the designers can add comments and information to the website.

Using Weebly to design inquiry website for students.
(e.g. WebQuest exploring the causes and effects of global warming)

Advantages
-Engaging and authentic task for students as they access a variety of mediums
-Step by step scaffolding of the task requirements
-Easy functions for students to manipulate
-Promotes exploration of resources students wouldn’t normally access
-Hands-on approach to learning the content
-Gives scope for collaboration with peers depending on the size of the task
-Can incorporate different tasks and extension tasks for students depending on their ability level (e.g. provide extra reading resources for higher ability students)
-Can include online educational games to add variety to the learning journey
-Students and caregivers can access websites from home.

Disadvantages
-Students with minimal exposure to technology will need extra support and computer labs made available
-Students might lose focus on content and become distracted with the game component of the task
-School computer labs are high in demand and this might hinder the completion of the task
-Parents might become too heavily involved in the inquiry and thus task will not present child’s ability levels
-Unlike the features of a wiki, only the designers can add comments and information to the website.

I have further reflected on this Weebly tool as an inquiry website for students and believe that it correlates with the Big 6 Framework designed by Eisenberg and Berkowitz. This is evident as learning manager can utilize this framework during the design of the class website to ensure the 6 key stages are included and thus the learning journey will be adequately scaffolded for students. I had a more in depth discussion with Jasmine Camps about this connection and I also related websites and the Big 6 Framework to the TELSTAR model of inquiry. You can view this discussion here.

Let me know what your thoughts are on this connection.
Regards
Pauline

Wikis and Engagement Theory

Hi everyone,

Well this week I tried to generate my own wiki and it was quite an experience. I was quite overwhelmed at first as there seemed to be so many tabs and editing options. But once I got in and gave it a go, I realized it was a fairly simple process. My wiki is called Embracing Technology in Schools and can be accessed here.

After reading the 50 ways to use a wiki website, I realized that there is so much potential in this technological tool. The website highlights that wikis can help students become more involved in the curriculum. Wikis can be used in the classroom for a number of purposes. For instance;
· Resource Creation (I particularly like the idea of a solving wiki that promotes collaboration on maths problems.)
· Student Participation (Peer feedback and peer editing of spelling, grammar and structure is quite an effective method to promote the use of these literacy skills.)
· Group Project ( Great for group organization and development of ideas)
· Student Interaction (I particularly like the idea of using a wiki to create a class short story.)
· Class Management (I like the idea of the class calendar as it keeps everyone on track and allows students to add anything they find significant to the yearly calendar).
· Community (The international sharing idea is fantastic as it promotes global interaction and gives students realistic learning opportunities.)

I conducted a brief PMI analysis of the wiki tool to evaluate its effectiveness in the classroom. Please don’t hesitate to add if you have any further observations.

Positives
-Promotes collaborative learning
-Allows for peer review and feedback
-Authentic tasks for students
-Gives students ownership and responsibility for their work as it is published on the web.
-Introduces students to a global audience
-Parents and caregivers can access it from home

Minus
-Task may hinder less technologically literate students and may be resistant to get involved (Appropriate scaffolding and mixed ability groups would be advisable)
-Inappropriate feedback could break students confidence ( Clear expectations and monitoring of feedback required)
-Time wasted on editing functions which in turn hinders the content collected and produced. (Scaffolding of tasks and time management plan required).

Interesting
-I particularly liked the “History” tab on the wiki because it allows the teacher to review the adjustments and steps taken to create the end product.
-I would never have considered using a wiki as a class management tool and think it is brilliant.

Overall I believe wikis are a great tool for the classroom and reflect Kearsley and Shneiderman’s Engagement Theory. The engagement theory promotes collaborative teamwork on ambitious projects that are meaningful outside of the classroom context. Wikis clearly address the three components within the engagement theory as this tool creates learning activities that occur in a group context, are project based and have an authentic (outside) focus. (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999, p.1).

Let me know what you think about the wiki tool.

Cheers Pauline

Bubbl.us- Online Brainstorm

Today I completed my own concept map using the online website Bubbl.us to brainstorm my understanding from topic one of Managing E-Learning. I thoroughly recommend the use of this technology and can visualize its incredible advantages in the classroom. The software is extremely user friendly and adjustments can be made easily throughout the map development process. This brainstorming task can be conducted individually, in small groups or as a whole class activity.

By using this technology students can;
· Create colourful concept maps online
· Share and work with peers when creating concept maps
· Email, print and save their concept map for future reference.
Technology like Bubbl.us provides opportunity for students to summarize, identify patterns and create graphic organizers of key concepts. According to Dimension two, the use of graphic organizers is an effective strategy in organizing declarative knowledge. Overall students will highly benefit from this experience as it encourages reflection on the learning, offers variety in the lesson, provides for visual learners and gives students clear notes to refer back to. The teacher will of course have to monitor the development of these concept maps to ensure no incorrect connections are made. I highly recommend this tool; let me know what you think as I struggled to find any disadvantages.

Web Logging

After reading Marc Prensky (2001) Digital Natives Digital Immigrants article I can openly class myself as a “Digital Immigrant”. I use the internet, texting, mobile phones and digital music players everyday, although I still carry the “accent” of a Digital Immigrant as I prefer print form over the computer screen and struggle to keep up with the technological ‘lingo’ and abbreviations. Having said that, I agree with Prensky and do not want to allow my outdated and pre-digital age experience to limit the education of my “Digital Native” students. Therefore I do not expect my students to ‘power down’ when they enter my future classroom, rather I will ‘power up’ as I intend not only to learn new things but learn new ways to do old things.

My aim to ‘power up’ my skills is evident with my enthusiasm to the new tool of blogging. After setting up my own blog and reviewing some of my peers’ blogs, I believe web logging offers a plethora of opportunities within the classroom. Firstly it motivates students to become actively involved in discussion as they exchange their point of view with their peers and the rest of the world. This in turn creates a sense of responsibility for the students and makes them more conscious and dedicated to creating a thorough response. Blogging also allows students to engage with content in the real world context as they can interact from the comfort of their own home and communicate with the rest of the world not just people in their immediate environment. The comments and interaction between blogs allow students to identify what others think of their responses and give them the opportunity to receive and provide feedback.

There are clearly multiple benefits in using Blogs; however there are also some issues that concern me. I am curious if including blogging restricts some students’ involvement in the classroom as they may have limited access to computers and internet at home due to finance and so forth. I am also interested in what age group will benefit from this technological tool and if it is restricted to older children. Another factor of interest is whether the comments and peer feedback may have a detrimental impact on students’ confidence as some students are sensitive to criticism.
Just a few thoughts for now and I look forward to hearing what you think.