Getting to immerse myself in digital spaces over the last 5 weeks has been a huge learning curve. Setting up wikis, blogs, websites, editing images and utilising video has been challenging and eye opening. I find it amazing the world we live in today. Gone are the days of predominant chalk and talk! The range of technology and ideas for designing effective lesson plans is huge!!!
I am nervous about using so much technology within the classroom environment. I hope through the last 6 weeks of learning and activities I can create impressive lessons. One thing I have learnt is that digital learning does cater for a range of learning styles (auditory, kinaesthetic and visual) which is greatly beneficial to everyone in the classroom.
I was quite naïve about what technology is being used in classrooms these days. I was still thinking teachers used OHT’s and computer time. However I have learnt that students now participate in video making, research time, interactive quizzes, wiki pages to communicate with students all over the world, iPads, iPods and more. I did some research into what grades are doing with computers and it ranges from grade 1 learning the computer rules and mouse and keyboard skills to year 7 learning all the computer terminology, about the hardware, how to research on the internet and play interactive games.
Some of the ICTs I have engaged in include Wikis, PowerPoint, Movie Maker, concept maps, images, podcasts, Prezis and websites. The four tools that I chose to investigate further are Wikis, Movie Maker, PowerPoint and mind/concept maps. I felt this range of ICTs was diverse enough to do both individual and group work. I have worked with some of the ICTs offered in this course before but was very keen to delve further and learn how to use them effectively in the classroom environment. Through the last 6 weeks of activities I have learnt that ICTs can transform, facilitate and enhance learning in the classroom. The role of the teacher in a technology rich environment is to combine curriculum knowledge and an understanding of the learner with effective teaching skills to enable meaningful learning (The Learning Place, 2010).
To begin with I set up a very basic wiki page with course links on it. This was purely for my own benefit and it saves me scrolling through weeks of activities and readings to find the appropriate link. However I love the idea behind a wiki, it supports collaborative learning and higher order thinking. There are multiple benefits including that anyone can edit it; they are fun and are great for comparing and analysing topics. The use of wikis could be useful in a classroom setting for making student profiles in year 8, virtual field trips, creating presentations, glossaries, class projects in year 7, portfolios, peer editing, word banks for year 3, sharing notes, collecting research in year 7, classroom rules in every grade, frequently visited internet sites and more. Wikis are a constructivism activity; students are constructing their own knowledge. The Learning Place can set up student wikis and personalised learning spaces.
However there are legal, safe and ethical guidelines to adhere too. I would check to see if the content was appropriate, gain permission for use of photographs or video, set up password or user IDs, avoid plagiarism and teach students that the internet is global.
The second ICT I investigated further was videos and the Movie Maker program. Movie Maker is a video creating/editing program that allows you to use videos, stills, animations, transitions and narration to create a short film (Wikipedia, 2011). Studies (Stohlman, 2011 & Library Video Company, 2008) have shown that using videos in an educational setting sparks imagination and helps connect students to the content. It also taps into their emotions and helps engage students in the learning.
I loved this activity. I have never thought of making a movie to help students learn. I made a short movie from still images and inspirational quotes. It has nothing to do with education but it is a feel good movie. Check out my Blog Digital Pedagogies- Movie Maker as a learning tool… and you will see my reflections and my mini movie. I can certainly see how Movie Maker would be great in the classroom, for example, it makes students think critically, they can create their own movies, narratives, class projects, field trips, slide shows, introduce classmates at the beginning of the year, digital storytelling, animated cartoons and more. Again this activity channels the constructivism approach as students are utilising the ICT to construct reality based on their prior experiences.
As a grade 6 teacher I could use Movie Maker and get students to film a sport they were learning and then review it to see what changes could be made. As a grade 7 teacher I could get the students to present an assignment on ‘Family History’ in a movie format.
The third ICT I looked at was PowerPoint (PP). It is a Microsoft program designed to assist presentations. You can also create slides, posters and animations (Wikipedia, 2011). I have used PP in schools but never actually researched or played around on it enough to realise its full potential. I liked using PP because it was something that I knew about but wanted to learn more for my own educational purposes. PPs Some ideas include making boring lessons interactive with animated effects and sound, stimulating interest through use of graphics and cartoons; design a presentation to exhibit class work, practicing spelling, class assignments, and student portfolios, vocabulary lessons, spelling tests and importing them onto the interactive whiteboards for classwork. My blog Digital Pedagogies – PowerPoint as a learning tool… outlines the positives of using PowerPoint in an educational setting.
Like any technology if it isn’t used correctly it can become a liability due to the content in the presentations (Zinnel, 2007). Remember Copyright and you will be fine when putting together a PP.
The final ICT I looked at was mind mapping, they are an easy way to organise information and outline specific tasks or topics. My blog Digital Pedagogies – Mind Maps as a learning tool… outline some examples of mind maps from complex to simple. Buzan (2000) found that using mind maps involves your whole brain for learning and taps into 99% of unused mental potential. Mind mapping allows you to think creatively and encourages higher order thinking.
This activity could be very useful in the classroom for brainstorming a new idea, solving problems as a class, planning units, helping organise workloads for special needs children, organising lessons and great for group work. Mind maps are great for younger grades to help plan ahead and illustrate information and also beneficial for older grades as it encourages higher order thinking.
All of the ICTs I have engaged in over the past 5-6 weeks have been amazing. They are all going to beneficial in some way in the classroom. Some are better for targeting different learning styles and some would suit different activities better. All the ICTs channel the connectivism theory, as it is about learning in the digital age. As George Siemens (2005) stated, you can’t know everything but you need to identify where to find the knowledge. Through the use of ICTs within classrooms hopefully this gap can be bridged.
I have conducted a SWOT analysis on my blog. Wikipedia (2011) defines a SWOT as a strategic planning method used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The results are on my blog SWOT Analysis of ICTs.
Some other ICTs I have engaged in include:
Flickr – great for editing and sorting photos
- As a grade 7 teacher I could use Flickr and get students to create a virtual field trip
- As a grade 3 teacher I could use Flickr’s map feature to search the globe to see where places are around the world
Prezi – web based presentation tool, uses map layout and zooming features
- As a grade 7 teacher I could get students to design a Prezi about a unit on space and give them a handout on what is expected to be covered (key questions, how many images they can use and material layout)
- Class group work – build a Prezi over a few lessons (semester)
Weebly - web creation made easy
- School website with pictures, information, policies and projects
Conclusion:
All these ICTs are effective eLearning developments and will help students gain knowledge with deeper understanding. I am looking forward to using some of these ICTs in my classroom and also exploring them further in my own time. As teachers we must remember there are safe, ethical and legal guidelines that we must adhere to when using or creating work within these ICTs. It is our duty of care to support and educate students in the safe use of the Internet. As a teacher you could set up a list of guidelines for combating privacy, copyright, plagiarism, e-security and cyber bullying when using these ICTs and the Internet. The Cyber Smart website has tips on building a cyber-safe program for schools. It looks at digital media literacy, positive online communication, peer and personal safety and e-security (Cyber smart, 2009).
Australian Government, (2011). Cyber Smart, Learning Pathway. Retrieved April 14, 2011 from, http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/
Buzan, T. (2000). The Mind Map Book, Penguin Books.
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning, 2(1).
Stohlman, K. (2011). Ezine Articles Lesson Plan for Using Video in the Classroom
Zinnel, M. (2007). Using Power Point in the Classroom. Making Classroom Technology Interactive and Fun for Students. Retrieved, March 7, 2011 from http://www.suite101.com/content/using-technology-in-the-classroom-a30008
