Aimée's E -learning Synopsis
This synopsis details the groups that have been explored and utilised to a greater extent to ensure that they are beneficial, informative and conducive to ensure they offer and encourage higher order thinking among students and also their educators.
I have found E- learning, to be such an informative and interactive journey.
It has helped me to develop my thinking and even learning, from lower order to higher order thinking.
I have explored and used programs in this journey, that I have never even knew existed. Not only can I use these programs to develop and encourage higher order thinking, but also to help engage them and to help the students learn when their learning style doesn't meet the typical stereotype.
Research shows schools are one of the safest environments for children. Due to this, the Department of Education and Children's services South Australia, have implemented this policy document to ensure the children are safe whilst using and being subject technology, by using it and also from their teachers and peers using it. We have also learnt how important it is to abide by and follow all of the copyright rules,
In the first week we did a group activity on Wikispaces, Our theory was Behaviourism which involved us doing the PMI's of Behaviourism. Mine is in the PMI chart here.
The next group activity we did was here where our class discussed Mobile phones being used in schools using Debono's 6 Thinking Hat's to help with the debate on why they are and aren't a useful tool in schools.
These lifelong skills are so valuable and relevant for teaching students in today's society. Lynch & Knight (2010), state that “Online and eLearning environments are predicted to be the preferred medium for learning in the future. With this statement it is so important to equip and set our students up for these valuable skills.
Tasks should be “authentic” or related to life outside of school or in the workplace. As If children can see the relevance in these outside of these two area's they are more likely to want to become engaged in the activity or with the tool. Marzano & Pickering (2010).
The first Group of Tools that where explored was Space Tools, The tools in this group consisted of Blogger, Wikispaces and also Weebly (Websites). Blogger is a great tool that encourages thinking, all of sorts. It can be used as a diary where you or your students can Blog their thoughts, but also a great tool to use for creative writing. Students can stop and start at any time. They can also have a document in process that can be saved and doesn't need to be published so it can be an ongoing process.
Here is a link, to my Blog that shows a conversation with my lecturer in the beginning of the course. Since that comment I have learnt so much and the importance of using these tools in a classroom.
The Group 2 Tools we explored where Multimedia tools. These tools seemed almost limitless, the ones I explored where You tube, and Movie Maker I have added a link here of the You tube clip on the left.
The clip is from a UNICEF summit for children. They show footage of the children in different countries and also where the summit is to be held.
This would be a fantastic unit, that could also be used with a Group 4 Tool such as Google Earth and scribble maps to show the students the countries shown in the You tube clip. You can also use Group 1 Tool Blogger for the students to write about the unit and use KLA's to incorporate creative writing and also Mathematics as you could measure the distances travelled to and from the countries.
The Group 3 Activities we explored, where Technology Tools which consist of tools such as
Powerpoint, Prezi and Glogster.
For this group I chose to look at Prezi, as I wanted to look at something that the students could use themselves, if they where to take photo's they could then easily go into Prezi and edit them. I found this tool very basic, but great for primary aged students. As I felt that it was so easy to use they wouldn't require much instruction for this.
Initially when I started E-learning, I wondered what exactly, I had gotten myself into, and I must admit, I have wondered that a few times after struggling to get something to work. By using each of these tools listed and by continuing my learning in the area of technology to continually ensure that I am familiar and up to date with the best and most relevant technology for each unit or activity that we are doing. It is also relevant and important for me to be constantly up to date with the latest and current technology and tools as I need to not only know what I am doing, before teaching and showing the children, but Marzano & Pickering (2010) state that teachers should “Exhibit a sense of enthusiasm about the material you present. If you are excited about the content, students may share your enthusiasm”.
This can only been done If I am genuinely excited about what I am talking about. That has been the great thing about this course, that I have been shown many new programs and forms of technology that I didn't even know existed. Before I did E-learning, I thought I was a Digital Native, but then I very quickly found out that I was in actual fact a digital Immigrant. I knew how to use blogger before this course, but almost everything else has been like learning a foreign language. But after reading Prensky's (2001) article on Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, he then states at the end of the article that “If Digital Immigrant educators really want to reach Digital Natives – i.e. all their students – they will have to change. It‟s high time for them to stop their grousing, and as the Nike motto of the Digital Native generation says, “Just do it!” They will succeed in the long run – and their successes will come that much sooner if their administrators support them”.
This also goes in saying as a teacher, You will be remembered and appreciated by the students for teaching them, these skills, As these skills and programs can be and are used in every day life.
As a teacher it is also very important to follow the correct guidelines in using the programs in regards to copyright and also what is and isn't allowed to be showed in the school. It is very important for your self to obey these rules and as a teacher I most certainly will as it not only breaks the rules and goes against what I have been taught, but we must show the students that we should not be breaking the rules, so we have to remember to not show anything that is inappropriate or clearly states that it is breaching copyright by being used or shown to the students, whilst being at school.
It's also very important that if we rely on technology for a lesson we need a back up. As at any stage there may be a problem with the program a computer or the computer being used may not have the same programs on it to the one you have used at home or else where to set the lesson up. So I need to ensure I have either a memory stick or laptop or both. Also maybe, a print screen or a photocopy or power Point slide printout of what I was going to show should be a sufficient enough if there is any problems, with the technology.
Thank you for taking the time to ready my Synopsis! I hope you have learnt something
Aimée
References
DECSA. (2009). Cyber Safety- Keeping Children safe in a connected world. Guides for Schools and Preschools. Retrieved (8th August, 2011)from http://www.decs.sa.gov.au/docs/documents/1/CyberSafetyKeepingChildre.pdf
Lynch, D & B.A (2010).The Theory and Practice of Learning Management. Frenchs Forest: Pearson
Marzano, R., Pickering, D., Arrendondo, D., Blackburn, G., Brandt, R., Moffett, C.,..Whisler, J.,(2009). (2nd Ed.). Dimensions of Learning. Alexandria VA: Hawker Brownlow
Prensky, M (2001). Digital Native-Digital Immigrants. http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf
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