Reflective Synopsis
Wow.... What a crazy six weeks it has been. Throughout the first six weeks of this course I have been thrown into the e-learning world under a personal mantra of 'Sink or swim'. It has been an amazing experience thus far as we have investigated so many new and innovative technologies that are highly educational and very valuable to the classroom.
'An approach to teaching and learning representing all or part of the educational model applied, that is based on the use of electronic media and devices as tools for improving access to training, communication and interaction and that facilitates the adoption of new ways of understanding and developing learning'.
Through implementing this definition into the e-learning concept teachers gain a clearer understanding as to what e-learning actually consists of.
The first activity in this course was a wiki-spaces activity. This was a scaffolded activity that required responses to the question ' Mobile Phones - Should they be used in the classroom?'. The scaffolding was done through asking the respondents to uses the Six De Bono's hats. My responses can be found through this link, Mobile Phones Wiki.
Throughout the preceding six weeks we discovered many new technologies that we were required to trial, reflect and post a reflection on our blog. The technologies that I have chosen to further analyse are Blogs, Podcasts, Glogster and Concept Maps.
Group 1
Through creating a blog (whether it be class, group, pairs or individual) students can contribute to the overall learning environment of their class and the wider community (depending on the subject and safety constraints). By using blogs in the class room (depending on subject and groupings) students gain control of their learning and create an ownership of their work. Students are able to express themselves through their learning's and provide real-time feedback to one another through the comments section. Through this comments section, students undertake peer reviews and further their learning by constructive debate and discussion. I have undertaken a SWOT analysis of the use of blogs in the classroom, so please follow the link to this posting.
Group 2
This grouping of technology consisted of digital audio, video, photos and podcasts. Through investigation into these technologies, there are many uses for all of them in the classroom. I thoroughly enjoyed using them all and will be using a mixture of them in the classroom during my embedded professional learning experience. I have chosen to further analyse podcasts from this group as I find the possibilities for this technology very exciting.
Podcasts can be delivered through a range of mediums or a combination of mediums. They can also be viewed on multiple devices and are accessible at anytime on these devices (computers, phones, tablets or mp3 players). Through this access it allows the listener/viewer (student) to revisit or catch up of they are unsure of something or missed any of the content presented.
As outlined by Macintrust podcasts have many advantages in the classroom. A reflective posting on podcasts in the classroom can be found here.
Group 3
Under this grouping of technology we were asked to create a Glogster, Prezi and PowerPoint. This was a very enjoyable and creative experience for myself as I had only ever worked in PowerPoint. I was amazed at the flexibility and freedom that can be incorporated in both Glogster and Prezi. I found that PowerPoint (for myself) was very much a step backwards with regard to the other two technologies in this weeks activities.
I have chosen to undertake further analysis of the Glogster tool as I feel this is a technology that is very suited for the classrooms of the 21st century.
Glogster allows users to create their own 'project or story board' in such a way that it is fully engaging. This platform is a great way for a teacher to present information in a fun, interactive and educational way that also allows for the students to contribute to their learning environment. I have discussed this educational tool in further detail using a SWOT analysis on my blog. Here is also a great youtube video on how to implement Glogster into the classroom.
Group 4
From this group of technologies I have chosen to undertake further analysis of Concept Maps. As a user of concept maps in the past (hand written) I found this technology to be interactive, easy to use and highly enjoyable. This is a great tool to introduce topics or subjects to the class as it allows for a platform where prior knowledge on the subject can be obtained. It can also be used as a reference sheet for terms, ideas and concepts whilst working through a specific topic or subject. The concept map is also useful as a conclusion to a subject/topic as students and revisit this at the end of the unit and add/subtract or expand this to coincide with their learning.
Through the use of this technology students can be scaffolded into specific areas that the teacher wants them to explore. This tool also allows for links to be inserted into it thus creating an interactive learning experience. By undertaking this type of 'brainstorming' activity students get a visual concept also of how their learning is going to progress and the steps that they will be undertaking. This topic is discussed further through my blog posting where I have undertaken a PMI analysis.
Safety
Student safety is of paramount concern. Internet student safety is one of the major issues arising from the shift towards technology based learning (e-learning). Each school has an Internet/computer student safety policy or procedures that they have to adhere to. Each unit of work that requires the use of technology should have a lesson (if not a lesson then an amount of time) allocated to the teachings of student safety on the Internet. The following link is to Education Queensland's policies in regards to this subject.
In my classroom I would follow the schools policies and procedures in regards to this matter. I would also ensure that I had a signed contract from the students stating that 'any misuse would result in lose of privileges in regards to the use of computers' and a signed form from parents and/or guardians stating that they agree to let their child/ren use the Internet and other technologies.
Conclusion
Throughout this first six weeks I have gained a great deal of knowledge and experience with technologies that I did not even know existed. Through exploration of these technological platforms, I have changed the way I think about technology in the classroom. This course has made me think about the ways in which the teaching profession is changing and how myself as a Pre-service (and actual next year) teacher am going to use these wonderful, engaging, and interactive resources to further the learning experience of the students that I will teach.
Through this first six weeks I have felt my views and apprehensions with technology in the classroom change dramatically and I feel that this change is for the better. This has been a great journey (so far) and I look forward to the rest of this course.
References
The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning. Building an Inclusive Definition of E-Learning: An Approach to the Conceptual Framework. Sangra, Vlachopoulos, and Cabrera (IRRODL, Vol. 12, NO. 2 . 2012).
Mobile Phones wiki-space
Education Queensland Cyber safety/ Cyber bullying. (Internet safety resources)
Education Queensland Schools Polices (ICT safety)
Matt's Preservice Blog
Macintrust
Reading Rockets - Concept Maps
