Introduction
Six weeks ago I began my journey into the world of ICT’s. I
have been exposed to various learning design frameworks and digital pedagogies
that can be used to transform, facilitate, support and enhance learning. Yes, I am young and society probably expects
me to be a technical genius but coming into this course I had very minor prior
knowledge about ICT’s and a major preconception that technology may jeopardise
the learning of essential literacy skills such as writing and spelling. I had
never even heard of most of the concepts presented to us for instance; blogs, wiki’s,
glogster or prezi. Six weeks later, I not only know what they are but I have
acquired the necessary skills to create them, to use them effectively in the
classroom, to develop higher order skills and creativity and to model and support safe, legal and ethical practices. I
came into this course with an open mind and my preconceptions began to shift as
I began to explore each digital tool and their uses and benefits on learning. I
now believe ICT’s are not only an effective way to enhance what students learn
and how they learn but an essential way to engage students, to cater for each
student’s individual learning needs and to ensure information is retained.
Over the last six weeks we focused on 4 distinct groups of
ICT tools that can be used to aid teaching and transform learning. We explored web 2.0 tools; which provide
online spaces for knowledge and understandings to be communicated, multimedia
tools; which can be used to support knowledge and understandings, presentation
tools; which provides innovative ways to present, share or pass on knowledge
and understandings, and animation simulation tools; which can be used to
heighten, broaden and deepen knowledge and understandings.
From my research, each group of tools open up many
opportunities for transformed learning when used appropriately. They can be
used in any subject area, for any age group or year level and can easily cater
for all different learning styles. When rote learning is required, behaviourism
is significant for example; playing computer games to practise maths skills.
When students require mental processing, cognition is significant for example;
online concept maps. When students learn from you or each other, social
constructivism is significant for example; wikis or blogs, and when students
need different or expert opinions, connectivism is significant for example; web
searches. Although replacing rote learning with ICT’s has been proven to engage and excite students, ICT’s need to facilitate some kind of immediate learning improvement. For example; substituting rote learning by using computer games to help students memorise times tables may enhance student engagement, however it provides no direct learning improvement because the same outcome can be achieved without the use of computer games. In this case, ICT’s are purely used to enhance enjoyment and engagement and not to enhance learning itself. ICT’s are best employed to support constructivist and collaborative learning that encourages higher order thinking and transforms learning in ways that was previously inconceivable without the use of ICT’s. The following synopsis will highlight precisely how my selected group of tools can do just this in my specialising primary setting.
Wiki Participation
The online wiki activity was scaffolded by De Bono’s Six
Thinking Hats and we were required to express our own views on the
controversial topic ‘should mobile phones be used in the classroom’. After my
initial confusion and frustration, I found the wiki activity to be a very
beneficial learning tool as it forced me to explore various sides of the topic
and various perspectives in a short amount of time which greatly expanded my
knowledge and understanding of the topic. For a more detailed analysis of my
wiki experience please read Week 2 Activity.
This activity was a great example of constructivist learning
and good pedagogy. It provided a platform form for students to collaborate and ‘scaffold’
knowledge creating a higher order of learning. It forced us explore all sides
of the great debate ensuring critical and creative thinking resulting in higher
order thinking.
The heart and focus of this activity was not on De Bono’s
Thinking Hats but was on the wiki tool providing opportunities for the creation
of online interactive activities. The De Bono’s Hats are just one of many
scaffolding tool used in most school settings however the learning experience
can be transformed when applied in an online (wiki) environment. In a standard
classroom, if such activities are assigned in groups there is no assurance that
each learner is contributing and participating and if such activities are
assigned individually we would lose the essential elements of collaboration and
constructivism. Creating online interactive activities are an effective way to
ensure each learner’s opinions are acknowledged and considered and are a good
way to confirm each learner participates and contributes to the activity. It
provides teachers with the opportunity to assess or check that students have
retained knowledge and can put their new knowledge to practice. Wiki’s also
enable feedback and critique from fellow learner and even outside sources which
can broaden, deepen and heighten knowledge and understanding. Such activities could be used in my specific primary teaching field, however the scaffolding would need to change depending on the age group or year level. Further scaffolding may be required in outside school instances because like me, after participating in the activity I did not go back and look at others responses and therefore may have missed out on some crucial insightful information. To avoid this, such activates could be done during class time allowing time for follow up reflections and analysis.
From my experience in participating in an online wiki activity it provided a safe environment for each individual to express their own opinions and learn from one another, however as expressed in my Finding and Understandings from Week 3, one wiki downfall I identified was the ability to edit, modify or completely erase another’s published work which brings to the surface an issue of online etiquette. In this case, rules would need to be set in place to ensure each students work is treasured not tarnished in a safe, friendly, supportive online environment.
Group 1 Tools
Group 1 tools introduced us too web 2.0 and online spaces,
more specifically; Blogs, Wiki’s and Websites. Please review Learning’s and Finding’s from Week 3 to
further explore my experience with these tools and their features,
functionalities, uses and benefits on learning in the classroom.
I thoroughly enjoyed exploring each web 2.0 tool and although
each has the potential to transform learning, I found Websites to be the most
appropriate for my specific teaching field. Specialising in primary teaching, I
need to cater for younger learners from prep who most likely have limited literacy
and technology skills. With its easy navigation and operation, establishing a
learning site would introduce new ‘non techies’ to ICT’s whilst providing a
safe online learning environment. With one sole operator, teachers have full
control over content which ensure all information is appropriate and provides a
foundation for teachers to model, manage and teach safe, legal and ethical
online practices.
There are many opportunities that come with establishing a
learning websites that were previously unachievable. Websites can redefine learning by; providing
opportunities to collaborate with fellow classmates or teachers after school
hours allowing them to ask any unanswered questions, teachers can upload class
content enabling students to reflect on prior information at any time and
allowing them to continue learning outside the classroom, teachers can embed
files that support content so that students develop better understandings,
teachers can display finished work enabling parents to access and monitor
students’ progress, teachers can create or assign online interactive activities
that enable students to put their knowledge to practice which also provides
teachers with opportunities to assess student learning and monitor
participation online.
Although educational websites are traditionally managed and
operated by the teacher, there are many proven benefits that come from creating
class, small group or individual webpages. It provides a platform for after
school collaboration, organisation and brainstorming as well as presenting
gathered resources (perhaps photos taken from school excursion), other ICT
creations, personal or group reflections and work progress. However with no
control over content or operation, teachers may find it hard to ensure a safe
online learning environment for students and therefore other precautions may
need to be set in place to ensure the site is being used appropriately, safely,
legally and ethically.
Websites provide direct links to outside information sources
as well as links to blogs and wikis. It’s an all in one tool. They provide a
great foundation for higher order learning, they can be used in any subject
area for any given age group and enable teachers to cater for all different
learning styles. It engages students in learning and encourages students to
continue learning outside of school which provides opportunities for maximum
learning. This supports my choice in tool
favourability for a primary school environment. Group 2 Tools
Group 2 tools has us explore three multimedia modes that can be used to support learning; images, audio and video. Being the keen learner I am, I chose to explore all three tools in depth because I find all three tools equally to be an essential part of the learning process and believe they all can greatly heighten the students learning experience and overall understanding of knowledge. Having explored and experimented with each tool I have gained the necessary skills to create and appropriately implement these multimedia tools in my classroom. To read more about these tools and their affordances in the classroom, you can visit Learning's and Findings from Week 4.Appropriately combining multimedia with verbal instruction in the classroom can result in significant gains in basic and higher order thinking and can transform learning in ways that were previously unachievable. Firstly and foremost, they add depth to learning by providing examples of content which results in a clearer understanding of information. They can be used to simplify and illustrate concepts or expand and broaden concepts whilst provide engaging visual stimuli. They open up opportunities for higher order learning (specifically audio and video) with the ability to connect with and arrange meetings or interviews with experts or guest speakers and with multiple dedicated websites (YouTube/instagram) enabling comments and feedback it provides opportunities for collaboration with wider audiences.
Each of these tools can be effectively incorporated into a
primary learning environment. It can stimulate and arouse student’s interests,
which can help ensure information and knowledge is retained, whilst enhancing visual
and basic literacy skills. Supplying specific multimedia files in class also
ensures students are being exposed to appropriate and safe content and information.
There are also many proven benefits that come with encouraging students to gather
and create their own multimedia to support their own learning. In doing this,
students develop media literacy skills, creativity skills, critical thinking
and language and communication skills. Having students independently explore
their own multimedia online may however open doors to unsafe website,
inappropriate or harmful content and may require extra precautions.
With appropriate use and necessary precautions, images,
audio and videos can dramatically transform learning and encouraging their
creation in the classroom can maximise learning. In addition, they proved
relatively easy to create and share which is an added benefit for primary
users. I will undoubtedly utilise all three multimedia tools in my primary
school classroom which will result in more focused, motivated, multimodal and
multimedia literate learners.
Group 3 Tools
This group introduced us to three presentation tools that
support the collection and collation of multimedia for presentation purposes;
PowerPoint, Glogster and Prezi. Each tool provides innovative ways for teachers
to present share or pass on knowledge and information to students. I chose to
further explore the possibilities that come with creating PowerPoint
presentations. Although I was familiar with this tool, my experience extended
as far as using it to aide oral presentations. I soon discovered this was no
longer the case. To read an in-depth overview and analysis about my discoveries
please go to Learning's and Findings from Week 5.
These new discoveries really excited me and as you can see I
could not stop writing about it! I had no idea the extent in which PowerPoint
presentations could transform learning. Simply by making learning
student-centred by including them in the learning process can engaging them in
learning helping ensure knowledge is retained and providing opportunities for
teachers to check that it is understood. On top of this, it can be used ’offline’
and is easy accessible, it supports the embedding of most multimedia and it’s easy
to operate, allowing us to create professional presentations with minimal
skills.
Being an ’offline ’tool, PowerPoint ensures a safe
environment for students and therefore without hesitation teachers can
encourage their use and creation by students. I think creating a PowerPoint
presentation would trump a 1000 word essay any day. Purely because it enables
them to be creative by personalising their presentation, possibly resulting in
more interested and motivated students, striving for higher achievements and
higher order learning.
As you can see, there are many more possibilities (other
than aiding oral presentations) that come with PowerPoint which opens up
infinite opportunities for student learning. The versatility and accessibility
of PowerPoint is what swayed my decision for it being the most ideal
presentation tool for my primary classroom. Although it does not provide the
opportunity for constructivist or collaborative learning, the opportunities it
does provide make it an extremely useful and effective tool in the classroom
for any age and any subject area.
Group 4 Tools
Group 4 tools introduced us to numerous other open-ended animation/simulation
tools that are available for teachers to utilise to support learning. These
tools are web-based and can be used to provide virtual experiences in the
comfort of the classroom. After exploring each tool, it was evident that they each
in their own way could aide learning, however I chose to explore Zooburst
(because it sounded exciting) and boy am I glad I did. Zooburst is a digital
storytelling tool that that allows stories to ‘come to life’ by creating 3D pop
up books. Specialising in primary teaching, I fell in love with this tool as I
think it will be fun, exciting and captivating for young learners. If it can
excite an adult, can you imaging the excitement it would bring to primary
students? As you will see in Learning's and Findings from Week 5 continued.. I provide an example of Zooburst and
further explain and explore the beauty of this tool, its features and functions
and its benefits on learning.
Trying to keep young students entertained and engaged in
learning is an ongoing challenge for teachers. They have an extremely short
attention span and if their bored, they let you and everyone else in the
classroom know about it. All children love being told stories and the beauty of
this book is it’s completely personalised and created for the students. Along
with the awesome ability to interact with the book students are sure to be
interested and engaged in the book and therefore in learning. Well at least for
5 or so minutes anyway. Zooburst would also be an effective tool for older
primary students, as much as the cool kids will let you know how ‘stupid ‘or ‘lame’
it is they would still enjoy it because it’s something different and it beats
print based materials.
Besides being an extremely engaging tool for young learners,
it activates and encourages creative thinking and creative writing skills
whilst engaging them in ICT’s. Encouraging their creation in the classroom
would stimulate student’s imagination and creativity and could lead to improved
listening, reading, speaking, and language and communication skills. Another
stand out feature is the classroom management tool. Teachers have the ability
to set up safe working spaces for students and manage their work in a protected
online environment. This online Zooburst environment allows students to share
their work and achievements online for parents and wider audiences to view and enables
comments and feedback to be posted, activating online collaboration.
Zooburst has proven itself a valuable and effective tool
that will undoubtedly make appearances in my primary classroom. With the benefit
of interacting and personalising, learning experiences can be redefined
resulting in more engaged and therefore more knowledgeable learners. I might
also add that it is extremely easy to use and create which is an added benefit
for young users, also supporting my choice in favourability for a primary
classroom.
