Assignment Two: Synopsis of four (or more) Digital Technologies

Undoubtedly, digital technologies have the power to transform, enhance and support learning in the 21st century. Web 2.0 tools are vital to education in the contemporary world because they possess the ability to engage learners of all learning styles and intelligences and they shift students from passive learners to active learners, a fundamental aspect of Constructivism. By integrating these tools in all Key Learning Areas (KLA's), students and teachers are not only exposed to resources that can be accessed, reviewed and recited wherever the internet is available, but they are also able to connect people on a global scale which is in line with Connectivism. By connecting with others they gain knowledge through a diverse range of perspectives and this enables them to "generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas" (Constructivism (learning theory), n.d.) , a component of Constructivism. All this can be done while fulfilling learning outcomes that have a real world focus and are generated through Problem Based Learning (PBL). However, the use of digital tools alone can not achieve this. Effective pedagogy is essential and as the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) asserts, "Teacher pedagogies will determine the extent to which the possibilities offered by technology are realised in education settings." (MCEETYA, 2005, pg.1). By looking at what students need to learn (content and learning outcomes) to succeed in the digital world and how we can best facilitate learning (pedagogy), with a specific focus in this synopsis on Blogs (Appendix A), Digital Video (Appendix B), Glogster (Appendix C) and Storybird (Appendix D & E), we can begin to see how these tools all have a valid part to play in the elearning evolution (or revolution as some may say).

Throughout the ICT's course I have looked into many Web 2.0 tools within the four groups that were presented. Blogs, digital video, Glogster and Storybird were four of my favourite and the tools I have chosen to summarise in this synopsis. This was predominantly because I felt that they are fairly simple to use which is ideal in a primary setting, they are free, and they all allow students a global audience which authenticates their learning and engages them in meaningful experiences. I chose to focus on Blogs over Wikis and websites because I feel that it is important that students have a space where they can reflect on their learning and guide others. I also felt the ability to comment allowed student to teacher and peer relationships to develop beyond the walls of the classroom and to a deeper level because of the informal nature of blogging. Digital video was chosen because of its multi-modal nature. It can combine audio, text, images, video recording which help to get the message across quickly, efficiently and in a way that relates to all learning styles unlike podcasts and digital images. Glogster produces a strong visual impact without the workload of Powerpoint or Prezi. I found that Powerpoint was difficult to navigate and did not suit global learners. Prezi ironed out some of these issues by using zooming features but this tool had the tendency to make me feel sick and because of this I lost focus on what was being said. Glogster is best because its compacts the information into one page and allows the user to freely navigate their way around. What I liked instantly about Storybird was its potential as an outlet for feelings, emotions and imagination. I feel that story writing links closely with cognitivism and constructivism by way of making meaning from the world around us. Storybird meets the essential learnings in the KLA of English set by Education Queensland and combines these with technology skill building.

Despite the potential of these Web 2.0 tools, it is vital that the integration of this technology is framed by safe, ethical and legal practices. I have mentioned the importance of these issues in my reflections (Appendix A, B, C, D and E) along with useful sites. Teachers must ensure that they are working within the guidelines surrounding school policies and copyright laws and that their students are not only adhering to these rules but understanding the implications of not doing so. Students need to be aware that what they say on the internet can have many ramifications and that working on the web means that they are not only exposed to helpful people, but those who may have other intentions. By addressing the guidelines and consequences at the beginning of a lesson, as well as using pop quiz tests on occasion to test their knowledge, students will better understand how to work effectively in the world of the web.

Blogs are authentic in that they give students a voice and an audience (Fisher, 2006). They can be accessed anywhere that the internet is available and are free and easy to set up making them very user friendly. In my analysis on Blogs it is evident that if Blogs are created individually, they can afford students a personalised space to write, critique, discuss, reflect, revise and create ideas and links in postings on anything that they deem important in their process of knowledge building. This is Blooms Revised Taxonomy at its best. I feel that personal blogs are best aimed at students Grade 5 and over. I would use Blogs as a reflection tool where students could complete homework and discuss their thoughts on class activities while also developing posing questions and ideas they may have to develop their learning. Blogs foster a learning community that extends beyond the boundaries of the classroom and this allows communication between peers (and beyond) to take place at any time. Blogging encourages writing, creativity and meta-cognition and this turns students into "autonomous intelligent novices who can learn new topics, subjects or domains faster than learners who lack such domains"(DEMOS, 2005). I feel that the fundamental shift from the traditional classroom to the contemporary classroom is the transition of roles. Classrooms are now becoming learner-centred hubs that are moving students from being passive learners to active learners and "ICT's can transform teacher role" (CEETYA, 2005, pg.3) facilitator rather than leader. What I like about Blogs from a teachers perspective is that as facilitators of learning, blogs give teachers the ability to read students thoughts and better understand what direction their learning is taking. This gives teachers the knowledge they need to provide effective scaffolding and create tasks that can build on the prior knowledge of students as well as create meaningful experiences for them that align with their interests and talents. It also gives teachers the opportunity to build relationships with their students by way of feedback in the comments box. Feedback is a vital part of how students learn and "is an essential part of effective learning. It helps students understand the subject being studied and gives them clear guidance on how to improve their learning." (Reading University, n.d.). I feel that feedback also validates the effort that a blog requires. I know in my own blog that my motivation skyrockets when I receive a comment. With this in mind I would ensure that feedback was provided by me on student blogs and I would explain to my students the benefits of commenting on each others blogs.

A teacher created blog for the whole class plays an important role in Primary Education as well, particularly in the earlier years of K-3 who may struggle with personal blogs. In this age group I would use class blogs to display homework activities like posting a 'letter of the week' and ask students to comment with words they can think of beginning with that letter. It is a great way to get parents involved in their children's learning. The fact that Blogs have the opportunity to be multi-modal means that they provide a well-balanced learning platform. Teachers can embed videos, digital images, podcasts, tables, links to games and many other tools into their blogs, allowing information to be disseminated in a variety of ways that cater for all learning styles. By doing this teachers can provide scaffolding for class activities that students can refer to repeatedly. Using this idea for older students in years 4-7, I would use employ a Class Blog that would include daily homework activities to be done by looking at the embedded files and then answering in the comments box. Blogs transform learning this way by allowing students to work in a neutral environment that doesn't discriminate (and therefore encourages shy students to participate), that is available anytime and that encourages them to become self-directed learners.


Many of the benefits of Digital Video as an effective elearning tool also revolve around the idea of self-directed learning. When making a Digital Video, as I found when making my video there are so many learning opportunities. Teachers initially need to scaffold questions that require students to consider what equipment they will need, who their intended audience is, what message they want to send out and how they will use multimedia to infuse this message in their movie. As a teacher I would use Project Based Learning (PBL) as the framework for these questions. PBL makes learning meaningful and motivating because students are given 'real' problems to solve. This applies to the theory of Engagement and the idea of relate, create, donate. Students are required throughout their movie making to build on prior knowledge and construct new meaning through collaboration, exploration and ultimately creativity. All these skills are important for the development of digital and visual literacy in the 21st century. The research conducted on student created videos by Schuck and Kearney (2003-2004) discovered that the role of the school was essential to the success of digital video integration in classrooms. In order for students to openly express their ideas and gain maximum value out of this tool, students need the equipment, technological skills and time to achieve their goals, but also need the support of their learning managers and reassurance that their creativity is the ultimate goal. Student created videos do require a lot of work, but I feel that the incorporation of multiple tools allows an amalgimation of all that has been previously learnt and a final product that reflects this as well as what was learnt during the video creation. The potential of the final product that transforms learning lies in its dissemination. Within the theory of Connectivism is the idea that students need to know where to find information, and YouTube has proved a popular place to achieve this. If students were to create a video that outlined an important topic such as recycling, this could communicate the message to students all over the world. The use of digital video to aid a lesson should not be overlooked either. In a world where digital media is second nature to our digital native (Prensky, 2001) students, using videos which are multi-modal means that the information will more easily be interpreted by students of all learning styles. As stated in the Global Imperative, "communication is multi-dimensional, engaging and increasingly unbound to text"(The New Media Consortium, 2005).

With learning theories in mind it is easy to see how Glogster could be an excellent tool for educators. Behaviourism would be reflected in the way that students learn to embed all types of files into their Glog, Cognitivsm in the way that they make meaning of their chosen topic based on prior knowledge, Constructivism in how they relate to scaffolding and Connectivism as they collaborate and comment on their own and other Glogs. Glogster "supports student creativity and engagement, is easy to learn, and can be used in any subject" (Tebbano, S. 2011). It transforms the traditional poster with the use of a multitude of interactive features such as videos, images, audio and hyperlinks. Hyperlinks "help students begin to understand the relational and contextual basis of knowledge, knowledge construction and meaning making"(Ferdig, E & Trammell, K. 2004). The fact that Glogging is limited to the size of the poster means that students have to actively critique and evaluate which information is most valuable and engaging to their audience and this produces HOT. What I found really appealing about Glogster was its focus on education, particularly that the creators have developed a Glogster EDU. By working within this program teachers are better able to provide a safe, secure environment for their students to work and collaborate in. In the classroom this program is very user friendly and the size of the poster means that students are able to review the overall effect as they develop their Glog which means that reflection can be instant and objects can be moved around and edited easily. This is not only useful for students but teachers who can use Glogster for presentations. The ability to see the overall effect and then click hyperlinks to deepen knowledge appeals to both global and sequential learners. Glogs can be accessed from anywhere which means they are excellent homework projects and just like videos they have the ability to combine many tools learnt by students. However, it is important that scaffolding guides students to a well focused poster that does not lose it's affect by having too many bells and whistles. In a classroom I would use this Glogster to develop a topic such as a country. Students could research facts, images, videos on a particular country and could also incorporate audio files of people talking (so students can hear accents) into their Glogs. It could then be presented in front of the school or to a classroom from the researched country, via the web, who could then add or alter the Glog according to what they know from growing up there. For younger grades, as a Teacher I would read a book and then compile a Glogster review made up of images, about the author and also interviews of what the students liked or disliked about the story. Glogster supports visual literacy skills which is so important in todays society as children are exposed to thousands of images everyday.

To summarise my analysis on Storybird, I feel that it has the power to inspire students to become collaborative authors and readers due to its authentic context and global audience. "As a learning tool, storytelling can encourage students to explore their unique expressiveness and can heighten a student's ability to communicate thoughts and feelings in an articulate, lucid manner"(Why Storytelling?, n.d.). It has the potential to enhance learning because of the self-chosen illustrations that can work as either scaffolds for the written story or support the pre-written story. I think that the illustrations are particularly useful for students who find drawing difficult or those who may struggle to conjure up stories without a visual prompt. Storybird allows for creativity and imagination and students can receive comments and 'hearts' as feedback from readers all over the world which can encourage a greater quality of work produced. In a primary setting I can see Storybird being a great tool for all grades. In classes K-3 students could work together to produce a class book. I could simply use one image from the Storybird collection and use a see, think, wonder routine and then document what every student says about that image. For grades 4-7 I would put students in groups and ask them to collaboratively write a Storybird that incorporated certain words or parts of speech. This tool is perhaps limited to only a few KLA's, but I feel that storytelling plays a vital role in the development of communication skills. Storybird allows students to develop these skills through a global network of readers, writers and artists.

It should be noted that while these tools are excellent tools for the classroom, they are by no means perfect. They require that stringent legal, ethical and safety guidelines be met and enforcing this in the classroom (particularly when students are working beyond the boundaries of the classroom) could be daunting for teachers. Most tools require a lot of planning and time when using them and as most classrooms are time structured, completion of tasks may be an issue. In saying that, I believe the most time consuming part is in learning the tool and I feel that my first experience with any given digital tool will always be the hardest. If teachers reflect on tools as they discover them, they can adequately scaffold activities based on their own difficulties (and prior class knowledge) to ensure students needs are met. There is also the risk of using the tool for a task that is not enhanced by the technology. Teachers need to find a balance and ensure that they have the pedagogical knowledge to back up their reasons for using a particular digital tool. It is paramount that a strong support network is formed where the school supports teachers, teachers (and parents) support students, students support each other and collaboratively the class supports those beyond the walls of the classroom.

Web 2.0 tools have the ability to engage students in learning environments that foster collaboration, autonomy, Higher Order Thinking (HOT), global connections, technological skills and problem solving skills, all framed within authentic contexts that can enrich their learning experiences. Throughout my exploration into a diverse range of digital technologies I have been challenged and exhilarated by the tools available which offer endless possibilities in the ways they can aid students in their acquisition of knowledge and Higher Order Thinking (HOT). I feel that Blogs, Digital Video, Glogster and Storybird all have characteristics that will work well in the Primary teaching context. Their greatest potential lies in the way that students and teachers choose to creatively engage with them in the classroom and I look forward to using them as a teacher in the 21st century.





References:

Constructivism (learning theory). (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism_(learning_theory)

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA). (2005). Pedagogy Strategy: Learning in an Online World. Retrieved from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/ICT_LearningOnlineWorld-PedagogyStrategy.pdf

Reading University. (n.d). Why is Feedback Important?. Retrieved from http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/engageinfeedback/Whyisfeedbackimportant/efb-WhyIsFeedbackImportant.aspx.

Fisher, Clarence. (March 2006). [Comment on blog Random Thoughts
about teaching, learning, technology, and life by Nancy A. Mckeand]. Retrieved from http://namckeand.blogspot.com/2006/03/and-yet-another-favor-to-ask.html?showComment=1142595900000#c114259591275024336

Shuck, Sandy., & Kearney, Matthew. (2003-2004). Students in the Director's Seat. Faculty of Education University of Technology, Sydney. Retrieved from http://www.ed-dev.uts.edu.au/teachered/research/dvproject/pdfs/ReportWeb.pdf.

Presnky, Marc. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5. Retrieved from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/prensky%20-%20digital%20natives,%20digital%20immigrants%20-%20part1.pdf.

Tebbano, Sheila. (April 5, 2011). GlogsterEDU Wins Den March Madness Mashup. [posting in blog You Can Do Tech]. Retrieved from http://youcandotech.blogspot.com/2011/04/glogsteredu-wins-den-march-madness-mash.html

The New Media Consortium. (2005). A Global Imperative (pp.7). Retrieved from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/Global_Imperative.pdf

Ferdig, Richard E., & Trammell Kaye D. (February 2004). Content Delivery in the 'Blogosphere'. The Journal Online. Retrieved from http://defiant.corban.edu/jjohnson/Pages/Teaching/BloggingBlogosphere.pdf

Why Storytelling?. (n.d.). Storytelling in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.storyarts.org/classroom/index.html#more




Appendix A - http://goodbye-comfort-zone.blogspot.com/2011/03/reflection-on-blogging-as-tool-for.html

Appendix B - http://goodbye-comfort-zone.blogspot.com/2011/03/digital-video-i-finally-got-there.html

Appendix C - http://goodbye-comfort-zone.blogspot.com/2011/04/glogster_04.html

Appendix D - http://goodbye-comfort-zone.blogspot.com/2011/04/storybird.html

Appendix E - http://goodbye-comfort-zone.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-storybird.html

My Storybird

Tilly's Adventure to Rabbit's house on Storybird

Here is the book I made through Storybird... it was moderated and approved, yay!

What has surprised me the most about making this book is that I have already had two 'hearts' including a nice comment as feedback! I did the story very quickly and thought it was silly but to get feedback was awesome:-) It has really authenticated the experience and motivated me to do more. I can only hope that one day I can use this tool with my students and they too can get the warm fuzzies from knowing they have global readership!

Storybird

Free to Choose on Storybird

I read this book after finding it on the website Storybird and instantly feel in love with it! What a beautiful story. Storybird is a website that allows adults and children to scaffold stories with the use of artwork from artists all over the world. "Storybird reverses the process of visual storytelling by starting with the image and "unlocking" the story inside. Choose an artist or a theme, get inspired, and start writing"(http://storybird.com/create/). It is collaborative story telling and can be written by more than one person. After the story has been completed, the choice of publishing is available which means that writers then have an audience who can 'heart' their story and leave comments. It is a fantastic tool for engaging students to improve literacy skills and helps inspire those who may lack ideas or struggle with illustrations.

I have written a book myself but it is in the process of being moderated, so until this is complete I am unable to embed my story.

PMI
Pluses -
- Free service
- Encourages students to create, relate, donate (Engagement Theory)
- Artwork scaffolds storytelling for those who may have trouble thinking up ideas
- Moderation occurs to ensure that Storybird books do not contain inappropriate language or misuse
- There is an age suggestion so readers and writers can classify books based on reading level and/or enjoyment
- Authentic context - story writers can get feedback and exposure from all over the world
- The stories are written from writers at preschool age to the elderly, giving the stories a personal, authentic feel
- Books can be tagged so that teachers/parents/readers can search particular topcis, etc
- Website creates a 'challenge' each month based on a topic or word and story writers can win awards
- Focus on literacy skills - a major focus of the school curriculum
- Great way of combining technology skills with literacy
- Easy to use tool for younger students with quick results
- Class accounts for teachers that are safe, secure and private. You can read more about the ever-increasing benefits provided for educators who are using Storybird with their students here.
- Stories can be shared by the students with parents, family, friends
- Option of keeping book private or making it public
- Collaboration! Can write stories in a "round robin fashion" with others in the same class or on the other side of the world
- "publishing platform" for budding artists and writers
- "promotes imagination, literacy, and self-confidence"
- Can add books to your personal reading list so you can read them over and over again
- High quality artwork

This is the tag on the teachers page within the Storybird website:
"Storybirds are short, art-inspired stories that are curiously fun to make, share, and read. Teachers love them because they inspire their most reluctant writers and readers and reward their most adventurous. Kids adore them because they feel empowered by the tools and supported by the social feedback".

Minuses
- Moderation means that if students want to embed stories into their blogs or on teacher websites they have to wait until this has been processed. I published mine 2 days ago and am still waiting for approval...
- No option as yet to add your own artwork
- Searching for a book can be difficult
- May be difficult to incorporate into a range of KLA's as it does not allow image upload
- If students have the story in their head before the image, finding relevant images may prove difficult

Interesting
- Having an audience means that students are likely to produce higher quality work
- You are able to pay for stories to be made into real books, printed and sent from the U.S
- Students could look into becoming artists themselves, imagine if their artwork was used in books all around the world!


Safe, Ethical, Legal Issues:
- What is fantastic about Storybird is that very few of these issues would arise because of the way it has been developed. Teachers are capable of setting up classroom accounts that are free and they can also "set privacy levels and never worry about safety. Storybird has no chat function or personal profiles and administrators moderate all public books and comments"(http://storybird.com/teachers/)
- Artists allow anyone to upload their illustrations and openly use them in their stories so no issues of copyright and/or plagiarism would apply.
- Stories can be moderated by Teachers to ensure that appropriate language has been used by students.

Storybird has a blog that is incorporated into the website and allows Teachers to constructively criticise aspects of Storybird and/or add ideas for future development. This is constructivism at it's finest... tools like this that are becoming integral to 21st century learners will only become better with the help of educators who are actively using these tools in their classrooms and can provide genuine feedback. Feedback is ultimately what allows us to better ourselves, deepen our knowledge and enhance motivation.


Classroom Ideas:
** Have students identify the themes of image sets by reading all of the different stories created
** Have students create stories for the same set of images and then compare the class' stories
** Have students read stories for fluency practice
** Have students write stories using images that have strong sequences as a support for their narratives
** Use it as a reflection tool - get students to write about thoughts on how they are feeling, what they are learning or to emphasise classroom ethics/rules/procedures. Check out a Storybird written by a student on revision here.
** Could choose a word or type of word and ask students to include it in their story as many times as they can.
** Have students create a rhyming story to get to know word groups
** Have students write short poems with only one image each and compile a classroom book
** Create a classroom Storybird based on retelling a story from a book.
** Students could write a story directed at a particular audience or person (eg the queen = formal, a friend = informal) As stated in the Qld Essential learnings, "Writers and designers can adopt different roles for different audiences"


References:
http://www.kristenswanson.org/2009/09/motivate-adolescent-readers-and-writers.html
http://storybird.com
http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/early_middle/qcar_el_all_yr3.pdf

Zooburst

I thought I would really enjoy this tool because I adore kids story books and love reading to my kids. However I found its features limiting and many of the visual aspects didn't really appeal to me.

Prezi

Miss Cleary's Prezi on Prezi

References:
http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/butlifecycle/lifecycl.html
Images:
http://susanleachsnyder.com/Conservancy%20Butterfly%20Garden/PhotographsForConservGarden/Monarch/Untitled-1.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3588/3351368918_0f5a9c243b.jpg
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/3902780/2/istockphoto_3902780-monarch-caterpillar-on-white.jpg
http://wackyweeksclub.webs.com/photos/Animal-of-the-Month-Pictures/019a-monarch_butterfly.jpg

This application was extremely user friendly and as a complete novice I found I had no issues navigating my way around the website and creating my very first Prezi.
Prior to making this Prezi I had looked at the one in our courseware and really did not like the turning and zooming in and out. I have a history of motion sickness and this was horrible! I would have expected that being able to control when the next action occurred would have meant I could also control the pace, but 'flicking through' was not an option - I would've been throwing up in seconds!

Going Password Crazy!

One thing that is driving me a little bit mental at the moment is passwords. How do we keep up with them? I try to keep the same one but a lot of websites have certain specifications now like "8 characters, including at least 2 numbers" so I can always do this. Oh and if I am to adhere to strict security measures I will not use the same one and not write my passwords down anywhere. Not possible for this brain i am sorry!

Maybe another barrier for students? Although I like the fact that many websites offering useful educational tools are now providing safe classroom-specific environments. I am not sure if they still need passwords within these systems... does anyone know?


Reference:
www.therealmartha.com/ MuchMisc/max_passwords.jpg

Tagxedo - How cool is this?!

I found this website while browsing through the blog of Jonathan Feinberg, creator of Wordle. It is very similar to Wordle but has the added bonus of being able to mould words into different shapes, words, silhouettes, etc. I thought this was an amazing tool and I loved the visual impact!

I created this Tagxedo image by using the shape of Australia and copying and pasting the entire wiki site on Australia. So easy!

This tool would be great for class projects as well as a multitude of other ideas as shown in the Wordle blog post.


References:
http://www.tagxedo.com/

Wordle

I created this Wordle by linking it to my blog. It was really interesting to review what words I use most. I am very happy to see that STUDENTS are number one!
On the wordle blog a lady mentioned that she uses it to edit her manuscript... she can clearly see what words she may have overused and adjust them accordingly. I thought this was a really good idea. Looking at my Wordle it appears that I might need to cut back on the etc's and try and be a bit more adventurous on the adjectives, what a GREAT help this tool could be, haha.
I found it funny that easy was one of the larger words... this course has been anything but!

Amazing Wordle Ideas!
http://www.slideshare.net/mberner/38-intersting-ways-to-use-wordle-in-the-classroom?src=related_normal&rel=585291
http://www.slideshare.net/murcha/using-wordle-in-the-classroom-presentation

PMI -
Pluses
- Great visual impact
- Suits visual learners as well as those who are word smart and aids those who are not by highlighting important words
- VERY easy and VERY quick to use
- Scales word size in relation to how often it is used in the text. This can be useful for either recognising key terms or highlighting a need for variety in word use.
- Free to use
- Allows students to be creative and change fonts, colours and words to their liking
- It picks up on “stop word”(s) (a frequently-used, but unimportant word, such as “the”, “and”, or “but”) http://www.wordle.net/faq#content
- Gallery allows students to model their work to the world
- Can be printed out to display in the classroom


Minuses
- Can not mould the cloud to a particular shape or theme
- Once the word cloud has been created it can not be edited to add in more words or change them
- Obscene language and inappropriate Wordles are not monitored - this is where safe, ethical guidelines need to be adhered to. Students need to ensure they do not put personal information, or inappropriate language into Wordle box
- Some computer systems require extra software to use Wordle
- Sometimes stop words and not picked up and word cloud can contain many words that do not reflect the most significant terms
- Can't repeat words because it just makes them bigger
- Forum allows for problem solving when issues may arise

Interesting
- Gallery appears to be a model only of what you can achieve and not a chance to collaborate as there is no search bar to find specific Wordles and no comment box to reflect and evaluate the work of others

Glogster

I just lost my whole reflection on Glogster. ANOTHER one lost. I have figured out the problem now. When you create a "new post" auto save kicks in, but when you "edit post" it does not until you have pressed Save As Draft and then it will start auto save. I keep forgetting about this and just assume it is being saved and then my computer likes to break down when I try to add a link. GRRRR.

Ok. So.
I spent all of today playing around with Glogster to make this cool interactive poster! YES, it was all day, but I had fun. What I enjoyed most about creating a Glog was that I was able to use many of the new skills I have learnt from different tasks over the past month. I also enjoyed the authenticity of this topic because a few weeks ago I went to Mon Repos to see the Loggerhead turtle hatchlings at night and help them safely to sea. I highly recommend going there, it was an amazing experience!

I have developed an approach to ICT's that seems to be working ok. It goes like this:

1. Do the course readings
2. View the tutorials
3. Open an account with the program
4. Google examples to see what other great ideas there are out there
5. Read about what other educators think of this tool and how they are using it in their class
6. Make a plan of what I am going to do - topic + basic features
7. Use Flickr and Google to find relevant images
8. Use Google and You Tube to find relevant videos and possible interactive links
9. Start creating page using design features for title, text boxes, images, graphics, etc
10.Refer back to information and write basic info + make links to videos
11.Use Preview (Mac photo edit tool) to perfect images that are to be applied
12.Add images and make final touches

Reflecting on the process has helped me recognise that I am a fairly linear learner, I like a specific order from beginning to end. As a teacher I realise that I will have global students who need to be catered for and this is the beauty of the internet. Being able to have multiple pages open at the same time allows students to refer back and forth while they are creating their ICT's.


PMI of Glogster:

PLUSES
- System in place for Educators to apply Glogster to the classroom with student accounts and management. This makes it a safe and private environment
- Multi-modal so it supports many types of learners
- Enhances visual literacy skills
- Authentic focus - Can collate information, photos and videos from 'real world' projects and activities in the classroom.
- Parents and future employees can view students Glogs and students can refer back frequently
- Easy to use and easy to embed in other programs like Blogger
- When you edit Glog, it also updates the embedded Glog
- A one stop shop. Can put text, video, photos, podcasts, games, interactive tools all in the one place
- Students can develop technology skills by using many at once
- Students can be creative with the design and content
- Ability to search Glogs from other students all over the world - global connections
- Links the Arts with core curriculum content
- Can be used across all KLA's to display information
- Glogster "can integrate the arts with core curriculum content"(redorbit.com)

MINUSES
- Doesn't save automatically when you are doing work
- Need a certain amount of design knowledge to create a poster that is well balanced and easy to understand
- Time consuming
- No spell check
- Needs to be rigidly scaffolded to ensure students are not distracted by the features and have the relevant topic information added
- "Biggest limitation for our teachers are copyright issues. When widely distributed on the web Fair Use doesn't apply-so students must create or locate copyright-free media" (http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/649749:Topic:195143?id=649749%3ATopic%3A195143&page=4#comments)

INTERESTING
- Still doesn't seem to be widely used even though it is a great tool
- I saw one Glog that was just framed videos of students reading their stories - a great idea and proof that Glogs do not have to be formatted in traditional poster style
- Can cover as much information as a website without the time, effort, privacy issues and maintenance
- Some reviewers have stated that it is similar to scrapbooking and appeals more to girls than boys

Uses in the classroom:
- To introduce students to a new topic
- To show students behaviour expectations
- For students to creatively present ideas on a topic or theme
- To reflect on students learning journey incorporating multi modal tools like podcasts, videos
- To engage students with diverse learning styles and intelligences by embedding and creating links to a range of audio and visual tools
- To plan out ideas
- To display leaning outcomes
- Create advertisements
- Book reviews with podcasts of students opinions and/ or them reading the story
- Posters on virtual trips

Safe, Ethical, Legal issues:
- "Protection of Children's contact information
Glogster a.s. encourages teachers, parents and guardians to spend time online with their students and/or children. We urge teachers/parents to instruct their students/children to never give out their real names, addresses, or phone numbers without permission when using the Internet." (http://edu.glogster.com/terms-of-use/)
- Click here to read a Glog on internet safety while using Glogster
- Students must reference any material they use that is not their own
- Students and teachers must aware of internet rules specific to the school and adhere to them at all times.
- Students could collaborate to create a Glog about Internet safety. This is a way for teachers to examine their knowledge and ensure that they know exactly what they can and can't do and how to access more information on copyright, etc if they need to.
- Glogster requires that students be 13 years and over to open an account. To make this a safe and legal tool in the classroom teachers first must send out permission slips and then open a teacher account that can be used by all students.


References:
http://www.redorbit.com/news/education/1564910/glogster_launches_education_development_program/index.html

Podcasting

It took me quite a while to get through all the podcast info from our readings and as usual finding relevant info on the internet wasn't easy. I really feel like I am on side with the connectivist learning theory at the moment. The internet opens up a can of worms and knowing where to find the information and which information is relevant and accurate is so important. A) because it drastically cuts down the amount of time spent on finding what you need and B) because it distinguishes the good from the bad.
After spending most of a day looking around, I found quite a bit of info that really got me excited about podcasts. I particularly loved the idea of doing interviews with students and also the opportunities for students themselves to take charge and create their own interviews and projects.

Here are some links to podcasts different types of podcasts done with students:

1. This podcast was adapted from a phone interview - great idea!
http://hw.libsyn.com/p/3/5/c/35ce0f7806bf019d/PA_Ep_21_June_2009.mp3?sid=52ca46d40039898e52e266da7cb193bb&l_sid=21149&l_eid=&l_mid=1970782

2. This one is a vodcast that is about a character named 'bloby' that a student created. Great for encouraging creativity and lots of fun!
http://richmondroad.podomatic.com/player/web/2008-09-22T19_40_50-07_00


3. This podcast is also a 'vodcast' and is quite advanced - it will be a while until I can create something like this with my students! Great way of communicating information in an authentic way by using images, narration and videos of students in the class.
http://podfreaks.com/view/nasaeclipsourworld


Here is a quick PMI (Plusses, Minuses, Interesting) followed by a podcast that I made with my son. He is reciting some songs that were taught to him by his teacher to help them learn the alphabet.

P -
* Free to use and easy to set up
* Students can create their own podcasts
* Can create vodcasts so learning can be multi-modal
* Can subscribe to podcasts and be updated when new episodes are available
* Can be accessed and listened to repeatedly which means students can go at their own pace and teachers can focus on other things rather than repeating info
* Only need computer (with mic which most have now) and the internet
* Students can share learning experiences with others around the world which makes podcasting authentic and meaningful
* Great alternative to reading text which is still the dominant medium on the internet
* Can be downloaded onto ipods or MP3 players so listeners can access podcasts anywhere, anytime
* Great for content that is purely aural - interviews, music, opinions, etc
* Music can be used to backup what is being said and often conjures up emotions like happiness, sadness to aid deeper thinking and comprehension.

M -
* No comments or editing can be made so does not allow interaction after the podcast has been made
* Dial-up or slow internet users may have difficulty downloading podcasts
* To make a quality podcast it may require extra equipment, editing software, quiet room, good voice for audio, etc
* Great for content that is purely aural - interviews, music, opinions, etc
* Only good for short topics
* Requires a clear, concise audio voice (accents, mumbling etc may make learning difficult if other students can not understand what is being said)
* Podcast series are not set in stone and can be removed or no longer added to if the makers choose to
* Difficulties in finding up to date and relevant podcasts

I -
* Students can listen to explanations repeatedly without asking the same questions and fear of forgetting important information
* I read that at one school they put up a podcast of a phone interview with a celebrity. I thought this was a fantastic way of interviewing celebrities or people the class is studying, etc as it requires much less effort than having them attend a class, etc
* The extensions of podcasting like vodcasting - podcasts with video!
* When podcasting includes video I thought it seemed very similar to You Tube. The pros with You Tube are that searching is easier but with vodcasting being able to subscribe means that it is more like a program with updates rather than one random entry

Ways that podcast could be used in the classroom:
- Interviews
- Students could talk about the latest school events
- Students could discuss issues related to the KLA's (critique art, talk about current events, discuss themes of a book, talk about what healthy living means to them, etc).
- Teachers could use podcasts to discuss assignments, class issues.
- Students could read stories they have written - this allows them to improve their reading by listening to their fluency
- A way of allowing parents insight into classroom activities
- As a reflection tool, evaluating activites, lessons and ICT's used in the classroom
- They could talk about their lives and culture and then exchange podcasts with children in different parts of the world


References:
- http://www.brighthub.com/internet/web-development/articles/34767.aspx
- http://www.educause.edu/blog/dianao/PodcastingintheClassroomEDUCAU/165531
- http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/audio/articles/78924.aspx
- http://mwtl.blogspot.com/2010/08/pros-and-cons-of-podcasting.html

Digital Video - I finally got there!

This is my digital movie created through iMovie. Please be kind, I know it's very amateur but it took me ages!

After reading Miss Meddles blog I read about how she used powerpoint to create slides and then saved them as images and transferred them to moviemaker. Inspired by these videos I set out to make a movie about shapes. My idea was to introduce some shapes and show how they can form pictures and the aim was to get my classroom thinking about how shapes can be found in many things we see everyday. I wanted to add in some funky music to make it more engaging and a little person so it was a bit like a story too.

This idea seemed easy enough but once again I managed to get in way over my head! I initially had to teach myself how to use powerpoint. I googled "how to use powerpoint" and went from there. Google is my best friend these days! I realise that a lot of the websites have tutorials and help bars but to be honest I find most of them extremely boring and I prefer to google my specific problem and get straight to the point. The most important thing that I learnt for this particular powerpoint was how to duplicate slides. This meant that I didn't have to cut and past each image that I drew and I am sure it saved me half a day in time. I went about my way adding in the shapes and text and my next problem arose when I wanted a girl in the picture. I decided to draw her in "Paintbrush" (a mac program) and imported her. I had some issues with fitting her in front of and behind the shapes (I wanted her to go in the door, not behind the house!) but in the end I just did what I could with the little knowledge I had. I then saved the powerpoint as images and then had to import them into iMovie. I know that Macs are great for a number of reasons, but I have found it very difficult during this course because a lot of the info is related to Microsoft and so I have to figure it all out for myself. I know in one sense that being forced to talk control of my learning is great, but on the other hand I am wondering if I am learning things the right way or the looooooong way?!

After finally figuring out how to get images into iMovie (the macmost.com website has been a godsend) I then had to decide on the music. I found a song I liked, purchased it from iTunes (had never done this before!) and then googled how to loop the start of the song. I ended up using Garageband (another Mac application) and googled how to create a loop. It took me ages to figure out a loop that flowed thanks to my total lack of musical intelligence! Then I saved it to itunes and uploaded it in imovie. I transferred it onto movie but there is one bit where it didn't flow that well but I have no idea how to fix it and have spent enough time on this now. If anyone else knows send me a message please!

Phew. So by making a digital video I used:
- Powerpoint
- Paintbrush
- iMovie
- iTunes
- Garageband

All things I had never used before! Then I wanted to upload it here and the only way I could figure out how to do that was by putting it on You Tube and then embedding it. So I now have a You Tube account as well.

I think in a classroom using Digital Video would be a great way to engage students in authentic learning. By being able to use photos and video footage students can document and evaluate their findings in relation to class tasks, projects and topics. They can also use animations and be totally creative in the way they portray their message about a topic to their class. Videoing footage of classroom happenings also provides teachers and students with an opportunity to watch and review on how procedures went and evaluate the lesson.

"...video production in the classroom enables the development of media literacy, higher order thinking skills, project based learning experiences, real world relevancy experiences, and a deeper connection to the curriculum being explored. But while all this is essential, it represents only half of the potential of using video in the classroom.

The other half to all the skills and experiences being developed is the experience that students receive in communicating their own original ideas to others, and in listening to others communicate their ideas to them. It’s that speaking and listening thing." Nikos Theodosakis, 2002 (as sited on http://edtech.guhsd.net/video.html)

One of the main downsides I see is that making movies can be very time consuming. The other is that in the process it can be easy to lose sight of the message you are trying to convey! So pedagogy and learning outcomes need to enforced throughout the process. One more downside is student and teacher privacy. Ensuring that permission to film students, etc is needed and editing may be required to ensure the footage is appropriate. Schuck & Kearney (2006) addressed the idea that teachers also need a supportive school environment in order to successfully implement digital video in the classroom.

All in all it was fun and definitely something I would love to get better at!

Some class ideas:
- create learning resource video clips (for use by students or the professional development of staff)
- prepare educational segments on safety issues (e.g. on roads, in playground, at home)
- assist in a variety of ways with the learning of other languages
- preparation of mini documentaries, interviews or news reports
- record students role playing difficult social situations
- record school performances, excursions, special events, field trips, visits by specialists, etc.
- collect video of authentic workplace situations that can be analyzed in maths or statistics classes
- use frame by frame analysis techniques to accurately record rapid change in experiments or sport
- compile still images over a long period to produce time lapse movies
- use frame grabbing software to record and analyze critical events
- increase student awareness of manipulative techniques used in advertising (this could be done by looking at a video without spoken words, and using a see, think, wonder thinking routine)
- develop greater critical literacy skills by comparing television or movie segments with own creations
- view difficult, dangerous or expensive experiments or activities (recorded with specialists)
- assist in the introduction of disabled students into mainstream classes
- show skills that are quicker to learn by observation (e.g. sewing a French seam)
- record and analyse student or teacher presentations
(http://www.zardec.net.au/keith/digvideo.htm)

You can view my thoughts on Digital Video, scaffolded by De Bono's Six Thinking Hats here.


Referencing:
Schuck & Kearney - http://www.ed-dev.uts.edu.au/teachered/research/dvproject/pdfs/ReportWeb.pdf
Miss Meddles blog -
Song on Video - "Young Folks" - Peter, Bjorn & John

ARGH! A new MINUS of Blogs...

I just discovered the "next blog" function on this blog site. I clicked on it yesterday and it was about a guy who labelled himself "the dirty hippy". It was bit odd to be frank. I thought that it always went to the same one but clicked on it again before and it is someone new! A High School girl. Lots of swearing and writing about love lives and how crap life is. Hmmmmmm for me this is a MAJOR minus of using blogs in the classroom. How do we stop kids from clicking that tempting little "next blog" link?? Beats me.

tornado in parker

tornado in parker, a photo by FOTO(GRAF) fka Das Viking on Flickr.

I found this photo on Flickr when I typed in Tornado

OH NO! I typed out a big reflection on this and then my computer crashed and the auto save on my blog must not have been working:-( Just as I was really getting excited about all this technology this has happened... goodbye last hour of my life! Another lesson learnt. Very frustrating though and I would be very upset if this happened to my students.

Ok so here we go...

I accessed Flickr and opened my account which was very simple. That was last week and today I decided to do a specific search. I searched for Tornadoes and found this image. I think it is AMAZING! In the short time I have been using this program I have loved the authenticity of it all. Obviously images as incredible as this are available in books, etc but I love the idea that a real person spontaneously took this shot while being amongst the action! Of course, this may not be the case - he may have intentionally set up the shot, he may be a 'storm chaser' or the like, but the way accounts are set up on Flickr, you feel as though you are getting sneak peeks into parts of peoples lives that they find special enough to share rather than just random images.

As soon as I saw this image I instantly thought of the See, Think, Wonder thinking routine that was mentioned in our course readings. Here is my reflection:

I see a Tornado roaring through farmland

I think about how powerful the tornado looks and how scary mother nature can be. I think about how I hope I never encounter a tornado in my whole life and I also think about how close the photographer must have been to the tornado to get a photo like this.

I wonder about how Tornadoes start and in what cities they occur most. I wonder about how people stay safe during a tornado and if the photographer was hurt or had his possessions damaged in any way. I also wonder about the cows and if they were ok!

I think that Flickr could be a great tool in the classroom because it is simple to use and the quality of images is incredible. Images are a great supplement to lessons and discussions and being able to access photos on nearly every subject makes this a fantastic program for projects, etc. When I wanted to use this photo in my blog I discovered that I could set up a direct link so that any photos I chose could be added to my blog without any copy and paste. This is a very helpful tool that students could use if they had blogs as well.

I had quick look at Tag Galaxy too. My first impression was that the layout and graphics were really cool. I love the idea of using tags and can see how this could foster class discussions on which key words are useful in finding a certain image as well as labelling any images added by the students. The downsides to this program that I have found though are as follows:
- If there are a lot of images it took a long time to load them on my computer
- The images are small and sometimes hard to make out
- In some instances I saw inappropriate images so that is an issue for classroom teaching
- Sometimes the narrowing down of tags went on and on.
- On Flickr I also saw some comments that were not appropriate for students to read.

Here is a snapshot of Tag Galaxy. I looked up "painting abstract".

Fun times with Picnik!

Loved using this tool! I can see a lot of fun could be had using this in the classroom:-)

Here is the original Mr Kangaroo. The photo was taken at the Wildlife Park near Yeppoon - he was the biggest Kangaroo and my kids called him Russell because they love Hooley Dooley's who sing a song about "Russell the Muscly Kangaroo"!

Here is my "picniked" version. Spot the enthusiastic photo editer...

How I could use it in the Classroom???
I think this tool would engage students because it is very simple to use and fun! My first thoughts were that students would love the doodle effect and being able to make people and things look silly but from an educational point of view I can see it being effective also. I had a read on the Picnik blog and there were a few great ideas which included holiday decorations, making a picture book, postcards, weather collage, spelling lists, student profile/placement cards, classroom newsletter, labelling parts of photos such as body parts, etc and using a blank canvas to create a picture using shapes which would tie in well with maths curricula.
It provides a way to further grab the attention of students by adding brighter, bolder colours or focusing on the key image in the photo. The ability to write, add detail, etc means it could be great to use in projects and to help with spelling. The ease of use with this program means that students are able to create their own edited photos which means they are gaining technical skills and have full involvement in the process! With the amount of advertising thrown at everyone these days, creating an ad poster would be another great way to implement an authentic focus.

Reflection on Blogging as a tool for the classroom

I think blogs are great. I really do. BUT another weakness that I thought of after making this chart was that they are very time consuming. Filling in my own takes enough time and effort but reading others is even more so. I love to read what others have to say and I could easily spend my 10 hours per week allocated for this course just doing that and nothing else! However because of the workload I unfortunately do not have enough time to do that:-( I also feel that you need to have a natural love of getting your voice out there and being heard... along with little self-consciousness. Oh wait - that could also be a positive - blogs help to open those who like to stay closed off and I guess that what is said is only limited by how much you are willing to say. So therefore privacy is in the hands of the writer. Hmmmmmmm. I think I have recognised this already on the few blogs I have been following... some have chosen to confess every high and low of their learning journey's while other have kept it very academic and done only what is required. I wonder if this can relate to their learning styles and intelligences??

How Blogs could be implemented in the Classroom:
- Teacher setting up a class blog to display class activities, homework lists, reminders, etc.
- Class blog where Teacher sets up homework activities with scaffolded questions that students have to answer in the comments box.
- Introducing students to professional blogs online from people related to class topics, projects, issues, etc
- Individual student blogs where students can discuss class activities, document learning journey and write up assignment. This type of blog requires stringent scaffolding to ensure students are focusing on the right questions and develop useful thinking routines.
- Class blog where that documents class happenings but that is created and updated by the students. The benefit of class blogs is that parents can be followers and keep up to dat with what their children are learning and build on this at home.
- Class blog extended to global collaboration whereby one class links with another somewhere else in the world and they share information and ideas on a specific topic.
- Students could critique and comment on a topic within a professional blog- this allows an authentic focus.

After reading Stephen Downes' article about Educational Blogging, I have summarised a few points that he made:
He breaks the "virtual space" of educational Blogs up into 3 sets:
- Classroom Web Space where announcements are displayed and work of common interest is posted
- Public, personal communication zone where students post results of work or reflection
- Private, personal space, reserved for student thoughts and teacher guidance

He states that "blogging is something defined by format and process, not by content". This mimics the idea that Blogs enhance learning about learning and not so much learning about content. It is the process from lower order thinking to higher order thinking that makes Blogs such a useful tool in classroom. It aids students in their ability to reflect, recite and evaluate (not in any particular order). Of course scaffolding is required to ensure that students stay on the right track.

Downes discuss the 5 major uses in Education as being:
1. To replace web pages - this is because they are reverse chronological so the latest posts are easy to find and Blogs are easy for both students and teachers to use.
2. Hyperlinks - enable easy links to extra material and information
3. Organise class discussions
4. Organise seminars and provide summaries of class content
5. Writing individual blogs

He also mentions a few pitfalls and pros of blogging, some of which are similar to those mentioned in my SWOT analysis.
Pitfalls - lieblous content, conflict between writer and institution (ie School), risk of copyright and protected info
Pros - gets students writing, breaks down barriers (can read blogs of professionals, class mates, etc), good blogs based on merit rather than origin.
The last point means that people who write blogs that become well known or followed by many do not have to be those of professionals, celebrities, etc. They can be someone who simply writes quality postings that are of value to certain readers.
Downes' also references Richardson who adds more positive points on blogging that include the ability to reflect, to write about a topic over a sustained period of time and to engage an audience which encourages quality postings and thought.

Safe, Ethical and Legal Issues
- As blogs are a part of the "blogoshpere" and open to everyone, students need to be aware of maintaining their privacy and not saying specific names, addresses, personal information. Using avatars like the Voki's is useful as well as nicknames. They are also able to use privacy settings on the blog so need to be informed on how to use these effectively.
- Teachers need to ensure that students are aware of issues such as cyberbullying, copyright issues, stranger danger, inappropriate language or images, securing passwords, and they need to know how to go about reporting any of these issues if they see other students who may be breaking the rules.
- Here are some great website on how to stay safe, ethical and legal when using Blogs:
http://www.netsmartz.org/Blogging
http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/ictstudents/p-3-ethics.html - the link here is for classes p-2 so it is the most basic way to create awareness, with links to other helpful websites.
* It is important that Teachers not only introduce students to ethical, safety and legal guidelines but that they frequently assess their knowledge so that it becomes clear what students do and do not know about these issues so the teacher can fill in gaps at keep these ideas at the forefront of all Web 2.0 use. Behaviourist quizzes embedded in a blog and Collaborative constructivist postings in the blog could be useful for this.



Reference:
McKeands, Nancy A. (2006) Random Thoughts about teaching, learning, technology and life. http://namckeand.blogspot.com/2006/03/and-yet-another-favor-to-ask.html

Conclusion

E-learning involves improving teaching and learning using instructional strategies enhanced by technology, especially computer technology.(CQU, 2011, para 9). This course frames the learning theory of collaborative constructivism. As Prensky (2005) asserts, students are becoming less engaged and by moving away from the traditional teaching methods and towards a more collaborative and meaningful framework, teachers may better design lessons that accommodate the needs of their students. By participating in the activities throughout the ICT's for learning design so far, students have not only gained an insight into the ways they learn best, but are actively collaborating with peers by participating in the wiki's, blogs and online discussion forums in Moodle. For some students this has been a difficult journey, fraught with issues of privacy, social rejection, and lack of ICT application knowledge.

To overcome these issues intrinsic motivation and engagement has been key and scaffolding throughout the course has been fundamental in sustaining both of these internal factors. "Scaffolding is a process of guiding the learner from what is presently known to what is to be known" (Murphy, 1997). Teachers become managers of learning. Vgotsky's zone of proximal development is related to scaffolding and central to this idea is the notion that when you assign a task, if the students successfully complete it without help, they could already do it. They have been taught nothing (Wilhelm, 2001). The ability to go off on tangents when online means that scaffolding must be carefully constructed to not only guide students towards learning outcomes, but to ensure that there is a balance between mediated learning and self-directed learning. This is where Connectivism comes into play also, as it is imperative that students know where to get information that is appropriate and accurate. The wiki's included a profile wiki, a mobile phone wiki and a learning theory wiki. The scaffolding was initially explicit in the profile wikis with direct questioning and the remaining two wiki activities used thinking tools PMI and De Bono's thinking hats "to look at decisions from a number of important perspectives. This forces you to move outside your habitual thinking style, and helps you to get a more rounded view of a situation." (http://www.odi.org.uk/RAPID/Tools/Toolkits/KM/docs/Six_thinking_hats.pdf) I felt that behaviourism was evident in the wikis as I learnt the process of accessing and editing the wiki's through repetition. There was however little positive reinforcement which is prescribed to be the motivator of learning in Behaviourism. Growing up in a behaviourist environment meant that this was difficult to comes to terms with and I found that not knowing if I was right or wrong diminished my motivation. This needs to be taken into consideration in the classroom as some students may thrive on competitiveness and individual success. Knowing not only what your students need to learn but how they learn best is fundamental in creating an elearning design that will engage and motivate all students. The learning styles test (Felder and Soloman) along with the multiple intelligences test (Gardner, 1983) provided not only an understanding of our own abilities and preferences, but also highlighted the fact that every student is an individual and can not be expected to gain knowledge in the same way as someone else.

The wikis strongly fit within the frameworks of Blooms Revised Taxonomy (Clark, 2010) and Engagement Theory (Kearsley & Schneiderman, 1990, 2010). Blooms Taxonomy focuses on a progression of learning from remembering to understanding, applying, analysing, evaluating, and creating. Wikis require remembering how to edit information, understanding how to answer using the thinking tools, applying this understanding by answering the thinking tools, and then evaluating in our blogs. This process was well scaffolded with a tutorial for visual and auditory learners, online IT support, and the thinking tools, making it a reasonably simplistic way to introduce students to collaborating online. The final 'creating' objective was achieved in the e-learning design framework task which was the product of our journey from lower order thinking to higher order thinking. Engagement Theory stipulates that students are engaged in learning and focuses around three components, Relate-Create-Donate. Students related by way of pairing up in the learning theories wiki, learning was created with purpose as the wiki content was relevant to our teaching practices and the donate component will come when we are able to put our knowledge into practice with our students. Becoming equipped with problem solving skills by way of thinking tools will also help with cognitive learning as we create schemas of tools to be used in the workforce and beyond.


The wiki activities did not always result in positive learning experiences. The many technical issues dealt with left students feeling overwhelmed and under supported. This proved that while technology can enhance learning, there needs to be efficient IT support and alternative methods of teaching content if problems arise. In the profile wiki the benefits gained out of the exercise depended on the amount of information students were prepared to expose. The learning theories wiki left many students without a partner and feeling isolated as well as behind in the course work. The mobile phone wiki was the most successful and I feel this was because of the anonymity and lack of pressure at bouncing ideas of someone else first. The blogs, while excellent as a reflective tool also left me feeling lonely as I gained few followers and only one comment. The forums proved useful for some students but I personally gained little value from them. Interestingly, some students were too embarrassed to post questions for fear of asking silly questions which I would have thought would be less of an issue in an online environment which enables students to think before they speak and not be instantly ridiculed if the do ask something 'simple'. I found the workload to be overwhelming and as the course has required a lot of reflective work, this puts pressure on students to absorb the material quickly. Ironically, despite the self-directed learning dimension to the course, the workload has resulted in hurried responses from me and some of my peers who need time to think things through. The assessment, whilst an evaluation, has appeared behaviourist to me as I am negatively reinforced to rush through at a pace faster than my ability or I may fail.

I found it comforting to see another side to the use of blogs and forums that reflected a collaborative constructivist nature. I participated in a forum of support for a student who was struggling with the workload and family commitments. Many students related to her situation and posted inspiring messages to help her through a tough time. Being in the forums, it can referred to time and time again if she is feeling overwhelmed. Being open about the ups and downs of the learning process can foster close relationships and trust within a community of learners and could be excellent in the classroom environment to combat bullying.

Another fantastic functional aspect to this course is that evaluation, both formal and informal, allows us (teachers) to learn from and improve on current practice (Commonwealth of Australia, 2008). By reviewing the learning styles and intelligences of students teachers can construct lessons that reflect these preferences. By looking at reflective blog entries teachers can follow the progress of students and provide extra support if they feel it is needed. By engaging in forums they can efficiently respond to any misunderstandings or further scaffolding that may be required. They also can gain constructive criticism in evaluations such as this that may highlight issues with the course.

E-learning is relevant in the 21st century as teachers try to engage students through the use of technology and by approaching learning in an holistic, constructivist fashion. By implementing scaffolding students will better progress through their learning journey and aspects of scaffolding such as thinking tools will guide them in being able to solve problems and gain social skills by way of collaboration. The design framework also needs to be well balanced by incorporating a range of resources and learning theories to ensure the needs of every student are met. As a teacher who will be educating students in a digital age, I believe this will help create an ideal e-learning environment in which students thrive as higher order thinkers.




References:

Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional Design & Learning Theory. Retrieved from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm

Murphy, E. (1997). Characteristics of Constructivist Learning & Teaching. Retrieved from
http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emurphy/stemnet/cle3.html

Wilhelm, J. (2001). Strategic Reading: Guiding Students to Lifelong Literacy. Retrieved from http://www.myread.org/scaffolding.htm

CQUniversity. (2011). Week 1 readings: active learning, learning diversity and the theory. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED20491 ICTs for Learning Design, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=17135

Mind Tools, see: www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTED_07.htm.

Felder, R., & Soloman. B. Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire. Retrieved from http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

Gardner, H. (1983) Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Retrieved from http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks1/ict/multiple_int/what.cfm

Clark, D. R., (2010). Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains, Retrieved March 2, 2011 from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html#cognitive

Kearsley, G. & Schneiderman, B. (1999, 2010). Engagement Theory: A Framework for Technology-
based Teaching and Learning. Retrieved March 9, 2011 from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Commonwealth of Australia. (2008). Australian Flexible Learning Framework. Retrieved March 15, 2011 from http://designing.flexiblelearning.net.au/assessing/f_evaluate/index.htm

Technical Difficulties...

Have no idea how to publish a table from Word into my blog and it is too late at night to ask for help!

Maybe my creation won't make it into the blog after all...

UPDATE: Managed to download Paintbrush, screen capture it in the word doc, post it into paintbrush, adjust paintbrush screen size to accommodate table, save it as JPEG and load it into blog... after an hour of trying to figure something out - now that's dedication!!

Who said I wasn't tech savvy?!

P.S Very grateful for the option of googling everything I need to know (aka Connectivism)

P.P.S Sorry anyone that tries to read it - get out your magnifying glass;-)

E-Learning Design Framework

Designing my own Framework for elearning has been challenging. I have read over the multiple frameworks included in our course, as well as related frameworks that I have discovered on the internet, and it has left me confused and wanting to include every possible dimension so as to ensure that my students have the best possible learning experiences!

I have chosen to focus on three important frameworks and combine these to create a framework that not only enforces higher order thinking, but engages students and recognises that as 21st century leaners, ICT's are integral to furthering their education.

These frameworks are:
Bloom's Revised Taxonomy - A classification of learning objectives designed to help teachers plan "units that incorporate low to high-level thinking activities" and allow "for student thinking at all levels". http://www.kurwongbss.eq.edu.au/thinking/Bloom/blooms.htm

Engagement Theory - A framework that contextualises learning and is based around the idea that learning is best achieved when it ENGAGES students by means of collaboration, project based activities and and authentic focus. It is also "intended to be a conceptual framework for technology-based learning and teaching", as they believe that technology further facilitates effective learning in the digital world we now live in.
Engagement Theory revolves around three core principles:
1. Relate - "emphasises team efforts"
2. Create - "makes learning a creative, purposeful activity"
3. Donate - "making a useful contribution while learning"

I have also employed aspects of the unit plan we were given at our residential school in Rockhampton, as well as components of effective e-learning design as subscribed by the Australian Flexible learning Framework. Despite the fact that I am aiming to teach in a classroom, I felt that this website provided solutions to many of the issues that arise when dealing with an interactive, collaborative environment. I was particularly interested in how assessment was implemented as well as the support that teachers provided for students.

I have tried to design my framework on the basis that effective learning design needs to encourage students to create. Creating is the top category of Higher Order Thinking in Bloom's Taxonomy.

I believe I need to start my learning design by addressing the key learning areas, my intended learning outcomes and the assessment. From there I need to focus on the individuality of my students:
What do they already know?
What are their intelligences?
What are their preferred learning styles?

To cater for a diverse range of students the learning design framework needs to be balanced. This is achieved by ensuring that:
A range of learning theories are implemented
ICT's cater for all types of learning styles such as visual, auditory kinaesthetic.

In order to learn, Prensky claims students need to be ENGAGED. This is the central focus of this framework because if students are not engaged they lose motivation and struggle to progress to a level of higher order thinking.

In order to engage students, I am adhering to the Engagement Theory and believe that students learning needs to be:
Project based
Collaborative
Meaningful (Authentic Focus)
It also needs to be technology based (ICT's)

Once students are engaged, they need to progress from Lower order thinking to Higher Order Thinking (HOT). This is achieved by scaffolding. Scaffolding supports students through their learning journey and encourages HOT by using strategies to drawing out their ideas.

In an elearning environment, it is important that I remain aware of the strategies relevant to this particular environment. I need to decipher what type of scaffolding will suit them best, based on all other aspects above, as well as what level of face to face or online interaction there will be, how self directed the courseware will be, and how this will lead them to excel in the assessment.

Here is my finished product which will is open to transformation as I progress through my own learning journey. How fantastic it is to have created something!

This will blow your MIND HOLE! (anyone else addicted to How I Met Your Mother?)

I was after some inspiration and motivation and knew that Ken Robinson was the man to turn to (sorry Mike!). I searched his name on You Tube and found this amazing video. Talk about engaging! The facts, the jokes, the drawings... I could go on.

Very excited to be a part of all this change:-) Sounds like we have got a lot of work ahead of us but imagine the potential if nearly every child could fulfil their potential and be doing what they love, instead of doing what they "have to" or "because the money is good". Zzzzzzzzzz.

P.S Despite the stress, I know I am learning heaps! I am totally fearless about trying out new technology now and have spent the day making a concept map (albeit a little dodgy), figuring out how to download you tube vids on to my blog, and I am now sorting out my framework and learning how to add rows into tables, etc (yes I am a true novice!). I truly believe that my motivation is fuelled by the fact that I have the support of my classmates and teachers and I know I can add to the forum any time I am in need of advice or help - as Ken Robinson said, "collaboration is the stuff of growth"!

Mobile Phones Wiki

To be honest when I first saw this activity I thought it was going to be all about how we best get RID of mobile phones and draw students attention AWAY from a device that has become an extension of their hand. Apparently my mind had time warped back to the early 90's (sooooooooo long ago, haha). It only took me a few more moments before I realised WOW, I am doing a course on utilising technology in a way than can engage digital learners, not a course on how to stamp out technology (not to mention a device that they seem to love so much!) That's when the the lightbulb sprung on in my head and I thought "students are going to love this, they are obsessed with cellphones!". I felt the 'real world' context was there before I had even clicked on the readings link. So here is my reflection on the journey from "NO Cellphones" to "PRO cellphones"!

I am going to have a go at a concept map. Not sure if this is a good idea or not, but might as well give it a go! I am bored of writing line after line and now I know that there are plenty of online resources out there to engage me I need to hunt them down!

I googled concept map and found a website called Free Mind which I downloaded. Read a few help topics and FAQ and this is what I came up with (very higildee pigildee beginners map!):

Wow there's a whole world of resources out there!

Final Reflection (before the process begins again!): Learning Theory Wikis

I felt waaaaaay behind on this activity before I had even begun(hmmmmmm... I am noticing a pattern here). At the Residential Schools in Rockhampton I met Sarah and we discovered we had a bit in common: both living in Gladstone (and doing FLEX study), both studying Primary part time and both trying to juggle education and a young family - no easy fete! When res school was all good and done we decided to exchange phone numbers and it was from here that we made contact in Week One and decided to pair up for this "Learning theories Wiki". This activity instructed us to pick a person who we felt compatible with and then do a PMI on one of the learning theories.

SO, the initial stage of "choosing a partner" was nothing like what we were instructed to do - the profile Wikis didn't come into the equation at all. Our compatibility was judged on good old face to face interaction... just how us digital immigrants like it:-)

The value of this activity to me as a learner?
Initially I found the activity offered little value to me as a learner. We organised to pair up through text which was I was happy with because I didn't know about the profile wikis yet and had no idea what was involved. When this was arranged Sarah had chosen the reading and posted her points. I totally applaud her for being so proactive (if only I could be that organised!) but I felt all my old "group work demons" rearing their ugly heads: Am I way behind? What if my opinions are similar and I have nothing else to add? What if they are different... is it rude to disagree? What if one person does more work than the other? If she finds this easy and I don't does that make me an idiot? If I don't address this activity straight away will she think I am a slacker? If only my mind had an off switch!
After I got past this I decided the best approach for me was to do the reading, write down my points and then read what Sarah had written to see if I had something different to contribute. Most of it was the same (said in one way or another) and so I googled a few more websites to see if I could find some info that might spark a few extra thoughts. In this sense I connected with the outside world, just not my peers. I found a few things and added my PMI to the Wiki and that was it. DONE.
What I did find really helpful was the PMI (Plus Minus Interesting)tool. I had never heard of a PMI before but after reading about it I thought it sounded like a very clear and simplistic way of grasping a theory. Finally something straight forward!
I found reading my peers PMIs and constructing my own helped my understanding of the learning theories and I now feel reasonably comfortable in distinguishing one from the next.

How could this strategy be used to support the learning of your students?
The concept of building knowledge in peers that have been self chosen is great as students can bounce ideas off each other, form connections with peers and still maintain a sense of creativity and freedom of choice. The PMI tool would be great in classroom as it provokes deep thinking in students as well as maintaining a sense of structure to focus their thoughts(aka "scaffolding"). The 'interesting' part helps the teacher become aware of any unresolved questions the students may have as well as offering more ideas for other students when shared. It's also "one of the most effective cooperative strategies for promoting responsibility within each of the students in the team." (http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/qi/tools/jkl/jigsaw.htm)
Flaws - some students may not be picked to pair up which can generate discrimination. In a pair one may do all the work while the other sits back. If students are pairing with someone they are compatible with, that may lead to a lack or diverse ideas.

Any visible signs of learning theories?
Constructivism - Selecting a partner from Profile Wikis identifies each student as unique individual. Social interaction of group work helps construct meaning. Choosing partner, reading and PMI's = actively involved in learning process.
Behaviourism - Stimulus = select a partner. Response = found a compatible partner (if all goes to plan!)
Connectivism - Connecting with others via networking to find a partner. Different forms of communication with partner through text, email, conversation, etc to construct wiki. Ability to learn from different views and contribute and then contribution can help others learn more and so the cycle continues.

Does it support a diverse range of students?
The way in which partners can communicate supports diversity but the activity of reading an explanation of a theory and writing up answers using a PMI does not. Although I guess you could say that a PMI offers structure for logical, sequential learners as well as freedom for global and reflective learners.

E-Learning - connect students on a global scale.