ICT Tool Category
WP - Word Processing MS Word, Star office writer, pages MS Works, Open Office, Abiword, Google documents, AJAXWrite, Notepad, Zoho Documents, Wordpad, Adobe Buzzword
Presentation Tools- Star office and open office Impress, Keynote, Microsoft PowerPoint, Google presentation, Zoho presentation, C-Map presentation builder, Mind mapper in presentation mode, prezi.com Mind Manager - presentation Mode, Voicethread, Slideshare
DTP - Desktop Publishing MS Publisher, Serif page Plus, Pages, Adobe Pagemaker, //Scribus//, Quark Express, Adobe Indesign
GIS - Geographical Information systems Arc Explorer, Arcview, Google Earth, Google maps Microsoft Live Maps, Gap-Minder
IM - Instant Messaging IRC, IRQ, yahoo messenger, MSN messenger, First Class IM, Moodle IM, Twitter, texting and SMS
Audio tools Sound recorder, Audacity, readplease 2003, Garage band, adobe acrobat reader - read out loud Online tools [See web2.0] http://voicethread.com/ http://www.looplabs.com/ http://www.jamglue.com http://www.podomatic.com/mix Elluminate
Video Tools Movie maker, iMovie, Pinnacle studio, Pinnacle Videospin, Final Cut, Adobe premier (and premier elements) photostory 3, Online tools [See web2.0] http://voicethread.com/ www.jumpcut.com, www.eyespot.com, www.pinnacleshare.com, www.cuts.com, www,animoto.com
Mind mapping tools Inspiration, kidspiration, Mind Manager, Smart ideas, Cmap, Mindmapper, freemind
Online tools http://www.gliffy.com/ http://www.mindmeister.com http://www.drawanywhere.com/examples.aspx[[http://www.mindmeister.com/]]
Graphics tools Corel Draw suite, Adobe Photoshop, MS Paint, paint.net, the GIMP, Tuxpaint Gimp Shop, Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator
Online tools
http://www.ajaxwrite.com/ http://www.picnik.com
Project Tools MS project, Ganttproject openproj
Modelling tools Google Sketchup, MayaPLE, Blender, Autocad
Timeline tools Preceden - http://www.preceden.com/ xTimeline - http://www.xtimeline.com/ interactive timeline - read write think
Data processing &
Spreadsheet Tools MS Excel, Open Office Calc, Star Office Calc, Numbers, Google Spreadsheet (part of Google Docs), Zoho Spreadsheet (part of Zoho Office)
(adapted from Wikispaces (n.d). Educational Origami. Retrieved from http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom's+and+ICT+tools)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Appendix A: Substantive Conversation
Productive pedagogies (Education Queensland, 2002) states substantive conversation are interactions between students or students with teacher that are reciprocal and promote shared understanding.
Below are some constructive comments posted on my peers' blogs.
Dear Karen,
I think to use a digital tool for rote learning has many advantages. I have personally used some of them on my class in Prac.
Advantages:
1. Cater for the less advanced: Set up tutorials for them to do individually to reinforce and extend their learning so that they can come to the level the class has reached. (This can even be done at home)
2. Cater for different levels: Have multi-tiered levels tests/quizzes for varying levels of abilities
3. Practice sessions, particularly in Maths where students have to practise several times to master the procedural process- the immediate feedback of the tutorial/practices ensure that students are not wasting time waiting for each other (as is often the case, if the teacher were to lead the correction of answers)
Some of the disadvantages may be:
1. Relying too much on rote learning, thus stifling creativity.
2. Lack of social learning/collaborative learning due to individualistic nature of tests and tutorials
3. Inducing competition as students may compare results across the same test.
Dear Aoi,
When you say most people's conceptions of Japan are Geishas and Sumarais and thus showing this youtube clip will expose the real-life modern living of Japan's youths today, you are also exemplifying DOL Dimension 5: generate new ways of viewing a situation that are outside the boundaries of standard conventions" where the usual conceptions of Japanese are challenged and learners have a shift in perspective. This can be also be used as an analogy to model this creative thinking process.
Dear Angie,
I feel that a wiki will be particularly useful in the upper Primary projects. I am in a year 3 class now and most of them are not allowed social websites at home. Plus, at this age, they may have to be protected against the exposure they will experience at social websites.
I would believe that in an upper Primary classroom, a wiki would just the purpose of sharing research, investigation or creation of a literacy, science, music or art project. These students spend a lot of time at the Internet, are savvy in navigating the net and the fact that they can collaborate with their friends even after class will give them motivation to participate. As advocated in the productive pedagogies, substantive conversation can occur through wiki channels and students can determine their own activities and outcomes. (Education Queensland, 2002).
Dear Karen and Miss C,
Getting the learning object that fits in the learning purpose is an example of connectivism (George Simens, 2005) which states that knowing where to find information is more crucial than knowing it.
Learning objects, I believe, can embody all aspects of behaviourist, cognitivist and constructivist learning. Learning objects can be skills-based where students have to practice and get the right answer. It can also be cognitivist where students have to strategize or analyse information to arrive at a solution. A learning object in the form of an inquiry-based approach would serve the constructivist mode.
Dear Karen,
I feel that online tutoring sites are very useful in classes where there are varying levels of abilities. The less advanced can have reinforcement at home through online tutoring. The learning can be tailored to each individual level.
In my experience, I feel that as a learning manager, you tend to teach to the medium of the class. You cater your lesson to the majority and thus those at the both ends can disengaged.
Technology like online tutoring can be used as a tool to bridge these differences.
This is especially so now that Australia's education outcomes are emphasizing on literacy and numeracy.
Below are some constructive comments posted on my peers' blogs.
Dear Karen,
I think to use a digital tool for rote learning has many advantages. I have personally used some of them on my class in Prac.
Advantages:
1. Cater for the less advanced: Set up tutorials for them to do individually to reinforce and extend their learning so that they can come to the level the class has reached. (This can even be done at home)
2. Cater for different levels: Have multi-tiered levels tests/quizzes for varying levels of abilities
3. Practice sessions, particularly in Maths where students have to practise several times to master the procedural process- the immediate feedback of the tutorial/practices ensure that students are not wasting time waiting for each other (as is often the case, if the teacher were to lead the correction of answers)
Some of the disadvantages may be:
1. Relying too much on rote learning, thus stifling creativity.
2. Lack of social learning/collaborative learning due to individualistic nature of tests and tutorials
3. Inducing competition as students may compare results across the same test.
Dear Aoi,
When you say most people's conceptions of Japan are Geishas and Sumarais and thus showing this youtube clip will expose the real-life modern living of Japan's youths today, you are also exemplifying DOL Dimension 5: generate new ways of viewing a situation that are outside the boundaries of standard conventions" where the usual conceptions of Japanese are challenged and learners have a shift in perspective. This can be also be used as an analogy to model this creative thinking process.
Dear Angie,
I feel that a wiki will be particularly useful in the upper Primary projects. I am in a year 3 class now and most of them are not allowed social websites at home. Plus, at this age, they may have to be protected against the exposure they will experience at social websites.
I would believe that in an upper Primary classroom, a wiki would just the purpose of sharing research, investigation or creation of a literacy, science, music or art project. These students spend a lot of time at the Internet, are savvy in navigating the net and the fact that they can collaborate with their friends even after class will give them motivation to participate. As advocated in the productive pedagogies, substantive conversation can occur through wiki channels and students can determine their own activities and outcomes. (Education Queensland, 2002).
Dear Karen and Miss C,
Getting the learning object that fits in the learning purpose is an example of connectivism (George Simens, 2005) which states that knowing where to find information is more crucial than knowing it.
Learning objects, I believe, can embody all aspects of behaviourist, cognitivist and constructivist learning. Learning objects can be skills-based where students have to practice and get the right answer. It can also be cognitivist where students have to strategize or analyse information to arrive at a solution. A learning object in the form of an inquiry-based approach would serve the constructivist mode.
Dear Karen,
I feel that online tutoring sites are very useful in classes where there are varying levels of abilities. The less advanced can have reinforcement at home through online tutoring. The learning can be tailored to each individual level.
In my experience, I feel that as a learning manager, you tend to teach to the medium of the class. You cater your lesson to the majority and thus those at the both ends can disengaged.
Technology like online tutoring can be used as a tool to bridge these differences.
This is especially so now that Australia's education outcomes are emphasizing on literacy and numeracy.
Reflective Synopsis
E-Learning is learning that is facilitated by the use of digital tools or content. The range of ICT tools available to the learning manager today are numerous and are not limited to the use of the computer, as commonly perceived. Appendix B is a table of the ICT skills that can be used by the 21st century learning manager. (adapted from Education Origami)
As an early childhood educator, my primary concern is how to manage the e-learning journey for my young cohort of learners, often referred to as the Generation Z. This cohort of learners has been defined by Prensky (2001) as digital natives- children who have grown up immersed in technology and are as Prensky(2001) described,” native speakers of the digital language for computers, video games and the Internet.” In fact, he states the biggest teaching dilemma of the 21st century is that our digital immigrant learning managers who speak an out-dated language (one that is pre-digital age) are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” I am privileged enough to be able to witness for myself such a cohort of learners in my work experience and am given a reality jerk as I see for myself how diverse this generation of classrooms can be. The range of learning abilities is wide (some children can be a year behind another) and there is an assortment of special needs, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This gives me the perfect opportunity to harness the use of digital tools.
In early childhood education, the most disturbing question about exposing young children to technology is that it will replace the sensory manipulation of concrete objects like sand and water play. Therefore, as stated by the NAEYC (2008), computers should not replace highly valued early childhood activities such as art, blocks, sand, water-play, dramatic and social play. Learning managers will use professional judgement in evaluating and using the learning tool appropriately.
The students today have a high visual orientation, especially with special needs like autism where one of their characteristics is their marked visual preference. Children with ADHD have difficulty retaining focus and therefore the use of game-based learning like Federation Objects with its immediate responsive interactive mode served to continue drawing them back to the learning. As mentioned, this cohort of learners have varying levels of skills and thus using multi-tiered levels of maths and literacy skill-based practice from websites ensured that each individual level was catered for. One particular boy had poor motor skills and thus found it a daunting task to write, yet had a wide vocabulary and strong expressive skills and therefore, instead of writing, he did his project by typing.
I have selected the following four tools (PowerPoint, video, wiki and learning objects) for the learning purposes of completing a SOSE/Literacy project titled Famous Australians and a Science/Literacy unit titled Water. The tools selected were because of availability of resources and usability in context and effectiveness.
Digital tool 1: The use of PowerPoint as an instructional and learning tool
Today’s young children are bombarded with fast flickering images from young and thus the average attention span is now much shorter and sensory engagement is more demanding as before. The use of the power point allows emphasis of main points, hyperlinks to allow targeted navigation and use of bullets and transitions to pinpoint information. Having in mind the young cohort of students, PowerPoint also facilitates the manipulation of animation, visuals and sound that will intensify the learning experience.
Using the Learning Engagement theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1998), this PowerPoint serves as a starting point for the students to relate to each other about famous Australians. By having it pasted on the desktop of the computers in the classroom and allowing students to access it, they widen their knowledge of the diverse achievements Australians are famous for through social discussions. The PowerPoint arises out of the need to challenge existing misconceptions. Responses given by the students in a brainstorming session revealed the famous people the students knew were Hollywood stars like Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson because of popular American culture. They were also only aware of a limited range of achievements like sports and movie stars. With the use of PowerPoint, we were able to pepper the slides with many images that would depict the time, genre, social and cultural context of the famous Australian and one-liners that sum up their achievements. Students’ existing knowledge was extended with a visual array of the diverse achievements of famous Australians. This PowerPoint challenged their present level of thinking- a habit of mind that is to think creatively as stated in the Dimensions of Learning. (Marzano et al., 1997, p. 285).
Digital Tool 2: Wiki Children in Today’s World
While collaboration among students is vital to learning, collaboration among teachers will greatly enhance learning and allow the infusion of ideas. This wiki website I have set up is to challenge the outdated “paradigm closet” of the present digital immigrant generation of teachers and to embrace technology as a learning tool to effectively harness their usefulness for engaging students and saving time- a component that every teacher never finds enough of.
The archive of websites allows teachers to share a resource of learning objects, websites, wikis, blogs, games, videos, etc. The list is endless. With comments, the teacher can quickly evaluate the usefulness of the tool or if it is applicable to her/his individual situation.
This is a demonstration of connectivism, coined by George Siemens (2005) as the learning theory for the present digital age. It states that for learning managers in the 21st century, with the networked nature of learning with computers and the internet, it is more crucial to know ‘where to find’ and ‘how to use’ the information rather than ‘knowing the information’.
Digital tool 3: The use of digital video as a tool for learning
The digital tools available to making and editing a video include Movie maker, iMovie, Pinnacle studio, Pinnacle Videospin, Final Cut, Adobe premier, to name a few. In my e-learning journey, I have used Movie Maker to turn my PowerPoint of famous Australians into a video. Adding music and animation, I realise that it brings the presentation to another new level and the learning becomes more emotive and even for myself, I find myself more engrossed in watching now as compared to when it was a PowerPoint. This video can be used as a hook to capture students’ attention and as diagnostic tool to elicit prior knowledge in the beginning of the unit- “What does my learner already know?”- Learning Management Question 1 (Lynch, Smith & Knight, 2007) by asking them to identify as many Australians they know from the video. It can also be used as an assessment tool towards the end of the project to ascertain the progression of knowledge in the course of the unit. Group games like:” Who can write the most number of names? Who can identify the writers?” while playing the videos can add an extended challenging twist to the activity.
To embed a real-life context to the project, a video of Thomas Andy in his first space shuttle launch is shown to the students. Videos such as these can transport the classroom out of its walls and give students opportunities to link their learning to their social and cultural context as defined in the productive pedagogies as connectedness to the world. (Education Queensland, 2002)
Making a video can be used in the” creating” process in Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognitive processes (as cited in Brady, 2006, p. 24-25) or “donating” process in the Learning Engagement theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1998) where the students create a video in the process of putting together and synthesising ideas, concepts or elements to develop/construct an original idea or engage/stimulate in creative thinking. This will be especially applicable to the high primary classes where students are well versed with computer literacy and are ready to participate in projects with high independence and creative levels.
Digital tool 4: Learning objects
As stated by Marc Prensky (2003) in the article “Digital Game-based learning” (pg 2), “On the surface, game players learn to do things- to fly airplanes, drive fast cars, to be theme park operators, war fighters, ..... but on deeper levels, they definitely learn more; to take information from many sources and make decisions quickly; to deduce a game’s rules from playing than by being told; to create strategies for overcoming obstacles; to understand complex systems though experimentation.” As such, students find that “the curriculum they are fed in school often feels to them like a depressant.” The traditional instruction of teaching with the control of one teacher and a pace dragged down by waiting for the rest of the class, the lack of visuals and animation and the slowness in response all contributes to the disengagement of the learners.
Learning objects are an aspect of game-based learning where individual students can add creativity and control over their learning journey. I personally have seen the transformation on the students’ faces as I used this digital tool from Learning Federation “Where does tap water come from?” in a science unit on water. I hope that the availability of computers will be a common sight in the near future classrooms and I look forward to that.
Conclusion
We live in a “data drenched society... (Yelland, 2007, p17) which suggests it is hard to negotiate meaning in the face of such massive quantities of information.” As knowledge workers, we have to ensure that we use the technologies available to us to effectively source for the appropriate knowledge, distil its essence, decide its relevance and then select the most effective delivery and learning mode for the children.
The present generation of children have different information processing ways from us. They think in hyperlinks, they multi-task, value speed over accuracy and they absorb information from multiple sources. Therefore, coming from a position of a digital immigrant, I feel that I am in an era where I can see the transformation of education and learning from a world without technology to one that is greatly enhanced and dependent on it. That puts me in an advantageous position to retain good teaching methodologies of the past- tried and proven and use them in new ways, making effective use of technology. As such, early childhood educators in the 21st century will always have to juggle this balancing act, constantly searching for ways that will enable children to develop to their fullest potential in this ever-changing world we live in.
Appendix A documents specific instances of professional communication I have contributed during my e-learning journey.
Appendix B documents the list of ICT tools available and serves as a archive of resources I can use in my teaching journey.
References
Australian Government.(n.d.). The learning federation. Retrieved from http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/default.asp
Brady, L. (2006). Collaborative learning in action. French Forests, NSW: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Education Queensland. (2002). A guide to productive pedagogies. Retrieved from
http://education.qld.gov.au/public_media/reports curriculum-framework/productive-pedagogies/
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE 11001 Managing E-Learning, http://courses.cqu.edu.au
Marzano, R., Pickering, D., Arredondo, D., Blackburn, G., Brandt, R., Moffett, C.,…Whisler, J. (1997). Dimensions of learning manual (2nd ed.). Aurora, CO: ASCD publications.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1998). Technology and Young Children- Ages 3-8. Retrieved from,
http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/pstech98.asp
Prensky, Marc. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Prensky, Marc. (2003). Digital game-based learning. Retrieved from http://210.240.189.212/dctelearning/type_resources/01_papers/9612_digital_papers/2_english/BIT095103/digital%20game-based%20learning.pdf
Simens, George. (2005). Connectivsm: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE 11001 Managing E-Learning, http://courses.cqu.edu.au
Space Shuttle Launch. (2010). Australian astronaut takes his first mission into space. (Video file). Retrieved from, http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thomas+andy+first+space+shuttle&aq=f
Smith, R., Lynch, D., & Knight, B. A. (2007). Learning management: Transiting teachers for national and international change. French Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Education.
Wikispaces (n.d). Educational Origami. Retrieved from http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom's+and+ICT+tools
Yelland, N. (2007) Shift to the future. New York, USA: Routledge
As an early childhood educator, my primary concern is how to manage the e-learning journey for my young cohort of learners, often referred to as the Generation Z. This cohort of learners has been defined by Prensky (2001) as digital natives- children who have grown up immersed in technology and are as Prensky(2001) described,” native speakers of the digital language for computers, video games and the Internet.” In fact, he states the biggest teaching dilemma of the 21st century is that our digital immigrant learning managers who speak an out-dated language (one that is pre-digital age) are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language.” I am privileged enough to be able to witness for myself such a cohort of learners in my work experience and am given a reality jerk as I see for myself how diverse this generation of classrooms can be. The range of learning abilities is wide (some children can be a year behind another) and there is an assortment of special needs, including autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This gives me the perfect opportunity to harness the use of digital tools.
In early childhood education, the most disturbing question about exposing young children to technology is that it will replace the sensory manipulation of concrete objects like sand and water play. Therefore, as stated by the NAEYC (2008), computers should not replace highly valued early childhood activities such as art, blocks, sand, water-play, dramatic and social play. Learning managers will use professional judgement in evaluating and using the learning tool appropriately.
The students today have a high visual orientation, especially with special needs like autism where one of their characteristics is their marked visual preference. Children with ADHD have difficulty retaining focus and therefore the use of game-based learning like Federation Objects with its immediate responsive interactive mode served to continue drawing them back to the learning. As mentioned, this cohort of learners have varying levels of skills and thus using multi-tiered levels of maths and literacy skill-based practice from websites ensured that each individual level was catered for. One particular boy had poor motor skills and thus found it a daunting task to write, yet had a wide vocabulary and strong expressive skills and therefore, instead of writing, he did his project by typing.
I have selected the following four tools (PowerPoint, video, wiki and learning objects) for the learning purposes of completing a SOSE/Literacy project titled Famous Australians and a Science/Literacy unit titled Water. The tools selected were because of availability of resources and usability in context and effectiveness.
Digital tool 1: The use of PowerPoint as an instructional and learning tool
Today’s young children are bombarded with fast flickering images from young and thus the average attention span is now much shorter and sensory engagement is more demanding as before. The use of the power point allows emphasis of main points, hyperlinks to allow targeted navigation and use of bullets and transitions to pinpoint information. Having in mind the young cohort of students, PowerPoint also facilitates the manipulation of animation, visuals and sound that will intensify the learning experience.
Using the Learning Engagement theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1998), this PowerPoint serves as a starting point for the students to relate to each other about famous Australians. By having it pasted on the desktop of the computers in the classroom and allowing students to access it, they widen their knowledge of the diverse achievements Australians are famous for through social discussions. The PowerPoint arises out of the need to challenge existing misconceptions. Responses given by the students in a brainstorming session revealed the famous people the students knew were Hollywood stars like Lady Gaga and Michael Jackson because of popular American culture. They were also only aware of a limited range of achievements like sports and movie stars. With the use of PowerPoint, we were able to pepper the slides with many images that would depict the time, genre, social and cultural context of the famous Australian and one-liners that sum up their achievements. Students’ existing knowledge was extended with a visual array of the diverse achievements of famous Australians. This PowerPoint challenged their present level of thinking- a habit of mind that is to think creatively as stated in the Dimensions of Learning. (Marzano et al., 1997, p. 285).
Digital Tool 2: Wiki Children in Today’s World
While collaboration among students is vital to learning, collaboration among teachers will greatly enhance learning and allow the infusion of ideas. This wiki website I have set up is to challenge the outdated “paradigm closet” of the present digital immigrant generation of teachers and to embrace technology as a learning tool to effectively harness their usefulness for engaging students and saving time- a component that every teacher never finds enough of.
The archive of websites allows teachers to share a resource of learning objects, websites, wikis, blogs, games, videos, etc. The list is endless. With comments, the teacher can quickly evaluate the usefulness of the tool or if it is applicable to her/his individual situation.
This is a demonstration of connectivism, coined by George Siemens (2005) as the learning theory for the present digital age. It states that for learning managers in the 21st century, with the networked nature of learning with computers and the internet, it is more crucial to know ‘where to find’ and ‘how to use’ the information rather than ‘knowing the information’.
Digital tool 3: The use of digital video as a tool for learning
The digital tools available to making and editing a video include Movie maker, iMovie, Pinnacle studio, Pinnacle Videospin, Final Cut, Adobe premier, to name a few. In my e-learning journey, I have used Movie Maker to turn my PowerPoint of famous Australians into a video. Adding music and animation, I realise that it brings the presentation to another new level and the learning becomes more emotive and even for myself, I find myself more engrossed in watching now as compared to when it was a PowerPoint. This video can be used as a hook to capture students’ attention and as diagnostic tool to elicit prior knowledge in the beginning of the unit- “What does my learner already know?”- Learning Management Question 1 (Lynch, Smith & Knight, 2007) by asking them to identify as many Australians they know from the video. It can also be used as an assessment tool towards the end of the project to ascertain the progression of knowledge in the course of the unit. Group games like:” Who can write the most number of names? Who can identify the writers?” while playing the videos can add an extended challenging twist to the activity.
To embed a real-life context to the project, a video of Thomas Andy in his first space shuttle launch is shown to the students. Videos such as these can transport the classroom out of its walls and give students opportunities to link their learning to their social and cultural context as defined in the productive pedagogies as connectedness to the world. (Education Queensland, 2002)
Making a video can be used in the” creating” process in Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognitive processes (as cited in Brady, 2006, p. 24-25) or “donating” process in the Learning Engagement theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1998) where the students create a video in the process of putting together and synthesising ideas, concepts or elements to develop/construct an original idea or engage/stimulate in creative thinking. This will be especially applicable to the high primary classes where students are well versed with computer literacy and are ready to participate in projects with high independence and creative levels.
Digital tool 4: Learning objects
As stated by Marc Prensky (2003) in the article “Digital Game-based learning” (pg 2), “On the surface, game players learn to do things- to fly airplanes, drive fast cars, to be theme park operators, war fighters, ..... but on deeper levels, they definitely learn more; to take information from many sources and make decisions quickly; to deduce a game’s rules from playing than by being told; to create strategies for overcoming obstacles; to understand complex systems though experimentation.” As such, students find that “the curriculum they are fed in school often feels to them like a depressant.” The traditional instruction of teaching with the control of one teacher and a pace dragged down by waiting for the rest of the class, the lack of visuals and animation and the slowness in response all contributes to the disengagement of the learners.
Learning objects are an aspect of game-based learning where individual students can add creativity and control over their learning journey. I personally have seen the transformation on the students’ faces as I used this digital tool from Learning Federation “Where does tap water come from?” in a science unit on water. I hope that the availability of computers will be a common sight in the near future classrooms and I look forward to that.
Conclusion
We live in a “data drenched society... (Yelland, 2007, p17) which suggests it is hard to negotiate meaning in the face of such massive quantities of information.” As knowledge workers, we have to ensure that we use the technologies available to us to effectively source for the appropriate knowledge, distil its essence, decide its relevance and then select the most effective delivery and learning mode for the children.
The present generation of children have different information processing ways from us. They think in hyperlinks, they multi-task, value speed over accuracy and they absorb information from multiple sources. Therefore, coming from a position of a digital immigrant, I feel that I am in an era where I can see the transformation of education and learning from a world without technology to one that is greatly enhanced and dependent on it. That puts me in an advantageous position to retain good teaching methodologies of the past- tried and proven and use them in new ways, making effective use of technology. As such, early childhood educators in the 21st century will always have to juggle this balancing act, constantly searching for ways that will enable children to develop to their fullest potential in this ever-changing world we live in.
Appendix A documents specific instances of professional communication I have contributed during my e-learning journey.
Appendix B documents the list of ICT tools available and serves as a archive of resources I can use in my teaching journey.
References
Australian Government.(n.d.). The learning federation. Retrieved from http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/default.asp
Brady, L. (2006). Collaborative learning in action. French Forests, NSW: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Education Queensland. (2002). A guide to productive pedagogies. Retrieved from
http://education.qld.gov.au/public_media/reports curriculum-framework/productive-pedagogies/
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE 11001 Managing E-Learning, http://courses.cqu.edu.au
Marzano, R., Pickering, D., Arredondo, D., Blackburn, G., Brandt, R., Moffett, C.,…Whisler, J. (1997). Dimensions of learning manual (2nd ed.). Aurora, CO: ASCD publications.
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1998). Technology and Young Children- Ages 3-8. Retrieved from,
http://www.naeyc.org/about/positions/pstech98.asp
Prensky, Marc. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
Prensky, Marc. (2003). Digital game-based learning. Retrieved from http://210.240.189.212/dctelearning/type_resources/01_papers/9612_digital_papers/2_english/BIT095103/digital%20game-based%20learning.pdf
Simens, George. (2005). Connectivsm: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE 11001 Managing E-Learning, http://courses.cqu.edu.au
Space Shuttle Launch. (2010). Australian astronaut takes his first mission into space. (Video file). Retrieved from, http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=thomas+andy+first+space+shuttle&aq=f
Smith, R., Lynch, D., & Knight, B. A. (2007). Learning management: Transiting teachers for national and international change. French Forest, NSW, Australia: Pearson Education.
Wikispaces (n.d). Educational Origami. Retrieved from http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom's+and+ICT+tools
Yelland, N. (2007) Shift to the future. New York, USA: Routledge
Monday, August 23, 2010
Futures Perspective
How would the future classroom like like?
THIS??
OR THIS??
Personal insight: I identify myself as a digital immigrant. Born in 1975, I am actually an in-between bewteen Generation X and Y. i remember only having to use the computer- Microsoft Word when I was attending a night course. Then I was already working and was 22! I now can see the advantages of harnassing technological tools to our advantage. Being a mother of 2 young children and taking a full-time university course, this would not have been possible if there was no e-learning available. I can now do my assignments when the children are asleep or access Moodle even in singapore (a 12 hours flight away).
A final thought: As digital immigrants, we can see the transformation of education and learning from a world without technology to one that is greatly dependent and enhanced by it. We are thus in an advantegous position to retain good teaching methodolgies of the past- tried and proven and use them in new ways, making effective use of technology.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Game based Learning- Learnig Objects
As a parent and educator, I have witnessed and thus standing fully convinced how game-based learning makes learning so engaging it does not even seem like learning at all.
My son has learnt all his phonetic sounds, sight words and reading words by playing computer games like Sesame Street and PBS, to name a few. Enagagement was never an issue as he could sit on them for hours. Arithmetic skills like addition and identifying quantities were part of the game process and he simply picked them up as part of the playing process. The only downside is only that his hands which were used for the mouse and keyboard often now find it a chore to write. As an ironic twist, he actually prefers to type!
My son has learnt all his phonetic sounds, sight words and reading words by playing computer games like Sesame Street and PBS, to name a few. Enagagement was never an issue as he could sit on them for hours. Arithmetic skills like addition and identifying quantities were part of the game process and he simply picked them up as part of the playing process. The only downside is only that his hands which were used for the mouse and keyboard often now find it a chore to write. As an ironic twist, he actually prefers to type!
As an educator, I have used the learning federation objects in class and seen the transformation in the students' faces. I had no problem with classroom management and I had the total engagement of all the students. the visuals made it easy for me to illustrate my points and the instant responses kept the students interacting.
As a futures prespective, I would hope that learning managers embrace the flexibility of technology and use ICT on a everyday basis. This would remove the commonly percieved notion of the classroom being "boring, traditional, conformist" to one of "creativity, self-direction and socially collaborative.
Below is a list of game-based learning websites.
In a Science Unit I taught during my Prac, we used a learning object from the Learning Federation website titled "Where does tap water come from?
to illustrate the journey of water from its source to the tap. Studets fix a jigsaw that shows the passage of water that students do not normally get to see because they are in pipes or underground.
R11124- Water Quality and Use is a collection of 25 curriculum resources that has learning objects and images that demonstrate the importance of keeping waterways unpolluted.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Linking Bloom's Taxonomy to ICT
A link of ICT tools to the cognitive processes as defined by Bloom's Taxonomy can be accessed at the above website.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
My map
My evening walk
I have experimented with goggle Earth and constructed a route of my evening walk around my neighbourhood. Having dabbled in this, I now feel more confident in using this as a digital tool. Before this course, I did not even know we could do that!
I have experimented with goggle Earth and constructed a route of my evening walk around my neighbourhood. Having dabbled in this, I now feel more confident in using this as a digital tool. Before this course, I did not even know we could do that!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Thomas Andy- Space Shuttle Launch
To introduce students to Thomas Andy, Australia's astronaut that travelled to space, a video clip of the launch of the space shuttle in his first mission is shown.
This will spark off interest for students and allow them to witness a real-life connectivity to the project. The lesson moves to a wider social context within which students live and extents the value and meaing of the lesson beyond its instructional context as promoted in productive pedagogies - connectedness to the world.
This will spark off interest for students and allow them to witness a real-life connectivity to the project. The lesson moves to a wider social context within which students live and extents the value and meaing of the lesson beyond its instructional context as promoted in productive pedagogies - connectedness to the world.
Digital Video as a tool for learning
In my e-learning journey. I discover that presenting text with an image will enhance learning. Now that I have also learnt to make a video, I realise that to have moving images and sound added, the captivation to the students becomes further heightened. Therefore, I have converted my powerpoint to a video and added animation and music and even surprised myself as I become more emotionally engaged to the movie now that the Australian National anthem is added.
Click on the link to watch the movie.
This movie can be used as a "hook" at the beginning of the unit to solicit prior knowledge. Students can be asked to pen down the famous Australians' names as they flash by. As such, the learning manager can assess how much the students already know and also gauge the students' interests by observing the responses to the diverse Australians.
It can also be used as a concluding activity at the end of the unit as students write down the Australians they now know so that it will display the knowledge they have explored and retained throughout the entire project.
Students can be encouraged to present their projects in a movie by using Moviemaker and this movie can serve as a spark of interest or model for them to decide. This will encourage multi-model ways of completing project. Students can choose between a poster, a powerpoint, a website, a video or a photostory to present their project.
Click on the link to watch the movie.
This movie can be used as a "hook" at the beginning of the unit to solicit prior knowledge. Students can be asked to pen down the famous Australians' names as they flash by. As such, the learning manager can assess how much the students already know and also gauge the students' interests by observing the responses to the diverse Australians.
It can also be used as a concluding activity at the end of the unit as students write down the Australians they now know so that it will display the knowledge they have explored and retained throughout the entire project.
Students can be encouraged to present their projects in a movie by using Moviemaker and this movie can serve as a spark of interest or model for them to decide. This will encourage multi-model ways of completing project. Students can choose between a poster, a powerpoint, a website, a video or a photostory to present their project.
The use of images and podcasts as digital tools and pedagogies
Recently, I was given the oportunity in Prac to help deliver a project unit titled "Famous Australians". When we conducted a brainstorm with the students what famous Australians they already knew, we were surprised to hear answers like: “Michael Jackson, Pink, Lady Gaga.."
In a Science Unit titled:" How do I do my part to save water?", a photograph of the water cycle was used to illustrate the journey of water. This is used in conjunction with a learning federation object-" Where does water come from? L203.
The image gives a comprehensive illsutration of the water cycle. The stages marked out clearly how water changes state throughout the process. The writing process starts with the top and ends at the bottom, This does not illustrate the cyclical process. It gives a false impression that a certain stage of the water cycle is the end in itself. However, by drawing out the closed cycle as illustrated in the picture below, students have a visual impression of the cycle being one lending to another and it is impossible to pinpoint which is the beginning and which is the end.
(Google Images, 2010)
Concept cartoons can be an excellent hook to start a science unit. It starts the class discussion and gives students the context to start predicting, justifying and collaborating.
(conceptcartoons.com)
As a SOSE lesson on Japanese culture, images of Japanese art to be presented.
A vodcast of thw water cycle can be viewed at the following link-
Apparently, the students are exposed to a fair amount of American culture and pop culture as that and thus I took the liberty to construct a powerpoint with pictures of many famous Australians and making sure to include a diverse range of achivements, spanning from medical, sports, arts, literature, aborginal, music (including opera, aborginal, classical), dance and others like business, crime and science.
These are some of the pictures used.
(Google Images, 2010)
I have chosen to pepper the powerpoint with images and have one or two liners to introduce the Australians as my objective was to give overview of the many diverse achievements Australians have attained and to stretch the students' present knowledge of Australia being famous for sports and pop to the many other (less-represented in popular culture) achievements like science and opera. This is an example of pushing the limits of the students' knowledge and abilities stated in DOL habits of mind- creative thinking.
As an ancient Chinese proverb says:" A picture speaks a 1000 words." and the above images will illustrate that. Andy Thomas with his astronaut suit, John Simpson statue with his donkey and Vivian Bullwinkel in her military nurse suit. The genre, the clothes, the background, to name a few are the many visual cues in the image that the students will pick up without having to teach. The high frequency of images ensure that the students stay absorbed and the impression is retained in their minds. This is far more effective than reading out.
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In a Science Unit titled:" How do I do my part to save water?", a photograph of the water cycle was used to illustrate the journey of water. This is used in conjunction with a learning federation object-" Where does water come from? L203.
The image gives a comprehensive illsutration of the water cycle. The stages marked out clearly how water changes state throughout the process. The writing process starts with the top and ends at the bottom, This does not illustrate the cyclical process. It gives a false impression that a certain stage of the water cycle is the end in itself. However, by drawing out the closed cycle as illustrated in the picture below, students have a visual impression of the cycle being one lending to another and it is impossible to pinpoint which is the beginning and which is the end.
(Google Images, 2010)
Concept cartoons can be an excellent hook to start a science unit. It starts the class discussion and gives students the context to start predicting, justifying and collaborating.
(conceptcartoons.com)
As a SOSE lesson on Japanese culture, images of Japanese art to be presented.
A vodcast of thw water cycle can be viewed at the following link-
With a catchy jingle and flashing captions, it gives an animated and engaging visual vodast of the water cycle. The short clip is well organised with true-life vivid pictures of different types of clouds and the storage places of water, stopping to show the stages of water and refreshing the memory with the same picture of the water cycle cleverly inserted throughout the clip.
I would have used this vodcast during the Science "Water" unit when we introduced the water cycle. I can also use this to illustrate the different stages of water and to show the importance of conserving water.
I attempted creating my own podcast with podomatic. This is the link- http://oas75.podomatic.com/entry/2010-08-10T19_12_07-07_00
I attempted creating my own podcast with podomatic. This is the link- http://oas75.podomatic.com/entry/2010-08-10T19_12_07-07_00
However, i have experienced difficulty in embedding the slideshow and thus this podcast is yet to be improved. I have found that using the Movie maker is a much faster way of making a video
Some ways that I have used images in teaching:
1. Photostory
2. Flow-chart
3. Organization chart
4. Calenders
5. Life cycle
6. Diary
7. Power point presentations
8. Projects
9. Movie maker
10. Games
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