The End is Nigh!!

During the past six weeks, I have had the pleasure of discovering several information technologies I had either not considered or I had deemed too complex for myself to use as a method of teaching. I have since changed my mind about these information technologies and will endeavour to use them as a means of communicating with my future students. Within my final blog I wish to discuss the purpose and value of 4 of these tools (Blogs, Podcasts, Prezi, and most recently, Google Earth) and the week one and two activities accomplished by my class and hopefully convince others to use these wonderful technologies for educational purposes to enrich their own lives and the lives of the students they teach.

During the first week of term we were given the terrifying task of creating our own Blogs and to post on them. Along with the creation of this Blog came the task of learning about Learning Theory. This, for the uninitiated, covers Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Constructivism and Connectivism- all useful in their own little way (if I ever hope to escape this year alive). Behaviourism- the nurture side of the ‘nature vs. nurture’ argument, Cognitivism- how your brain works, Constructivism- how knowledge is constructed mentally when old knowledge comes into contact with new knowledge through experience, and Connectivism- knowledge is external to the human brain.                                               Another thing to come out of week one was the teachings of Prensky, who enforced the ‘engage me or enrage me’ theory (my opinion- Prensky- Enraged or Simply Irritated). This was rather interesting as it, falling in with his ‘digital natives and digital immigrants’ theory, invokes the idea that, in this ‘tech-savvy’ world, students are being bored senseless at school as many schools are lacking in the technological facilities and prowesses that the rest of the western world has discovered. This couples with Learning Theory’s principles of Connectivism and Constructivism, in that the technological aspect is centre point to this theory, and this is one man’s belief. Surely not all students have been disengaged in schools, and surely not all disengagement is caused by a lack of technology!                                                                                                                             The task in week two I found interesting and insightful- De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats. The students of Central Queensland University were told to express their opinions regarding mobile phones as educational devices in classrooms. This enabled students to think about their response and why they responded in that manner- teaching students to think from different viewpoints, rather than singularly. This relates back to Learning Theory, yet again, by reinforcing the facets of all four aspects of the theory- Wikis- Try Something New! But buyer beware! De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats is not appropriate for all ages! Some younger children may find the concept difficult to grasp.

On to the subject of blogs in education system (also known as ‘Group One’). The blog- shortened from ‘web log’- is a popular means of conveying messages and information to others on the internet (as I am doing now). If Blogs can be used in everyday life, out in the world; what’s to say they can’t be used in classrooms as a teaching and learning method?!                                                                                                                               As discussed in one of my blog post (Wikis and Blogs and Websites, Oh My!); although school and class blogs have been popular in New Zealand and Australia- some having been around for a few years (for example, the Waimataitai School has had their blog since 2009)- upkeep for these blogs is time consuming and interest may wane. On the other hand, for the purpose of blogging about my information technology tool experiences, blogging has been a quick and easy way for me to express my views without the hassle of waiting for an email to be sent back to me or for a returned phone call. Responses/ comments can be immediate. Blogs feed into Learning Theory though Constructivism as blogging is reflection of a person’s views and opinions based on prior knowledge and schemas. Blogging also has some basis in Connectivism- in that information technologies are used to convey the user’s current_thoughts.                                                                                                                  It is important to from a young age; establish with students the importance of acting in a moral and ethical manner whilst writing and commenting on blogs. If not, things such as bullying and crass language and behaviour will appear throughout the student blogs through the blogger and commentators. It is also instructive that teachers themselves are careful of their wording in blogs (and other documentation) so that it is not misconstrued by students, parents, peers or the wider public.

Podcasts would not be possible without the internet. Having said this, Learning Theory’s Connectivism strand is definitely the most relevant of the four to this particular tool. But how is this relevant to a teacher or student and what are the pros and cons of this tool, if any? A podcast is an audio (or the less common video) file to be viewed live or at a later date.                                                                                                                                      The problem that one runs into when giving students the opportunity to use such a technology is that this tool may not be used for the specific purpose it was intended by the teacher. The temptation for some students to podcast lewd and obscene remarks is almost too great. It is in the student’s best interests, then (and this applies to the use of any digital technologies in education), that teachers create a safe an ethically sound environment in which student can learn and create. This includes: ‘ensure systems of support are in place to foster a culture in which students' rights and responsibilities are paramount and all students are invited to learn’, ‘ensure professional learning opportunities assist staff to adopt and develop behaviour support strategies and pedagogical practices that accommodate diversity and engage every student in challenging, supported and contemporary learning’ and ‘explicitly teach and consistently maintain clear expectations and routines for student learning, self-management and behaviour’ (all from Education Queensland, 2013).                                                                                              During my use of this tool, I found podcasting to be relatively easy and the obtaining of the podcasting application on my iPhone to be relatively hassle-free. If teachers are careful with students and this tool (discuss the consequences of misuse with students, and monitor the content being recorded), there is no wrong way to use this for activities. If students fear embarrassment, they can simply record over and over again in privacy until they are comfortable with the results!

The ramifications of a good presentation in today’s schools should not be overlooked. The PowerPoint presentation is ‘done to death’ in classroom lessons by teachers, boring students and, as such, little information, is absorbed. Prezi modernises this mundane presentation giving it life-and in some instances-movement!                                                                                                                           My experience with Prezi has been fun, quick and delightfully simple. The tool gives you a choice between many pre-made templates and allows you to mould them into a creation of your own. An example of a pre-made template can be found in an earlier blog of mine (No Time like the Prezi!) along with an example of an individual creating their own template. The setbacks to using this tool are few- a tiny learning curve, the unreliability of the internet and the report of motion-sickness for a small percentage of the population. Students should be encouraged to use this tool as it will certainly build confidence in digital tool usage and increase interest in subjects, due to its easy-to-use and entertaining nature. Educators should be advised to create a safe and supportive environment by developing student abilities in groups (having the more experienced students help the less experienced students) in a well supervised environment and ‘ensure(ing) the provision of staff training and ensure adherence to legislative, departmental and school requirements for student learning, wellbeing and safe work practices.’ (Education Queensland, 2013) The use of Prezi can be related back to the Connectivism and Constructivism strands of Learning Theory as, much like blogging, Prezi finds a connection between old information (the information being portrayed in Prezi, and the use of PowerPoint for previous presentations) and new information (the use of Prezi) in the brain to help create a Prezi presentation. Connectivism is used, as once again, digital technology is in use.

My experience with Google Earth was a positive one- due to the simple and innovative nature of the tool. I found it incredibly easy to navigate my way through London, Paris and Melbourne (in 3D and 2D formats) and even gave myself a virtual tour of Jack the Ripper’s murder route. This goes to show just how innovative a teacher can be with the way in which they use this tool (although, the content may change!). Students can not only become virtual travellers, but also comment and read comments the teacher has placed- both factual and assessable. The brilliance of this digital tool is that students can do this at their own pace (as it can be downloaded at home as well as at school), regardless of the child’s experience with the technology or perceived intelligence level. A SWOT analysis- On Top of the World.                                                                                                                                 As indicated in Education Queensland’s (2013) recent Digital Pedagogy Framework, it is important to create a supportive learning environment as this: ‘create (s) innovative, engaging and interactive learning environments that enable all students to access the curriculum and participate fully in learning’, facilitate(s) access to learning beyond traditional boundaries of school education’, ‘model(s) and explicitly teach ethical, safe and legal use of digital resources, tools and environments, in accordance with departmental policies.’                                                                                                                      Google Earth links back to Learning Theory by Connectivism and Constructivism as, through this technology, new information is collaborating with old technology to give the user the ‘experience’ of being in a place. For example, in a Geography class, getting a feel for where the 14^th Century’s black plague spread to and actually ‘travelling’ the distance that the plague carried to.

In conclusion, all of these digital technologies have pros and cons to them. However, if used in a constructive (and highly supervised manner) each tool can be educationally sound and even a bit of fun for students and teachers alike. The needs of the individual and the class need to be taken into consideration. For example; students of all different learning levels, from those with special needs to those who are gifted and talented, need to be considered. No child should be left out of the learning process. All of these innovative tools can facilitate collaboration between the individuals for the group’s needs if used in a constructive manner.

Blogger [Computer software]. (2003). Retrieved from http://www.blogger.com/home

Google Earth [Computer software]. (2004). Retrieved from http://www.google.com/earth/download/ge/agree.html

GarageBand [iPhone software]. (2011) Retrieved from http://www.apple.com/apps/garageband/ (used to make Podcast)

Parkins, J. (2013, April 2). No Time like the Prezi [Web log post] Retrieved from http://justinee43.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=wcPo5j0BAAA.2roHUifpQXyCh5vda_VkSg.iWr2MxIeGXNCqt1kFvaXIg&postId=324602706338427320&type=POST

Parkins, J. (2013, April 2). On Top of the World [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://justinee43.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=FjHT8z0BAAA.2roHUifpQXyCh5vda_VkSg.dFwF3r3XDLcahodvPheCow&postId=2299395515449417367&type=POST

Parkins, J. (2013, February 26). Prensky- Enraged or Simply Irritated [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5270301212101119257%23editor/target=post;postID=8981001867210078536

Parkins, J. (2013, March 10). Wikis and Blogs and Websites, Oh My! [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://justinee43.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/wikis-and-blogs-and-websites-oh-my.html

Parkins, J. (2013, March 2). Wikis- Try Something New! [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://justinee43.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/wiki-try-something-new_2.html.

Prezi [Computer software]. (2009). Retrieved from http://prezi.com/

Queensland Government. (2013). Digital Pedagogy Guides. Retrieved April 10, 2013 from http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/developing-professionals/elearning-frameworks/index.html

On Top of the World!

Google Earth is this week’s educational Information Technology. This is a great resource as users can actually see and explore areas anywhere in the world. This will stick with students for longer than just handing them a map and a few pictures. With Google Earth, students will be able to see the Arch de Triumph in France or Big Ben in London 3D form, just by clicking a button! For easy use, please click on this link to direct to some very helpful tutorials: Google Earth Tutorials.

Students can use this technology to, for example, follow Jack the Ripper in London (for a history class), or visit a Theatre in the Round for drama class. They can create ours of their local area or go on a geographical scavenger hunt. The possibilities are endless. Once again, these can be worked on individually or as groups. Here is an example of one of the many ‘sites’ to see on Google Earth:

Being completely free, Google Earth is accessible to all students. It includes aerial photographs and satellite images (some of which are less interactive, so their more useful for the more easily distracted students) as well as the 3D images.

There is a ‘Sightseeing folder’ inside the My Places folder- which can quite effectively be used to control a lesson- telling the students exactly what places to ‘visit’.                                

Students can easily create their own data and save that information to data files, which can later be assimilated into student presentations

Google Earth can also be used within the classroom, not just by the students alone. An example used by (Google Earth for Educators, 2013). is that, in the event of a phenomenon –such as a hurricane-, Google Earth can track the hurricane’s path, making the lesson more relevant to the students.

And now, the all-important SWOT analysis:

Strengths ·         It’s all free! - Google Earth is completely free so anyone anywhere can use it!! ·         Layers upon Layers- Many layers of data are at the user’s disposal. (GPS use and Spread sheets are included in Google Earth Plus- available for just $20) ·         It Never Gets Old!!- Because it is constantly being updated and changing, you will nearly always get up-to-date information.

Weaknesses ·         Langoliers- Some areas of the planet are unavailable in high definition or good quality and some are not available at all! ·         User Friendly? - Due to Google Earth being of web 2.0 design (owned, to a point, by the people), some of the information and points of interest given in this tool are incorrect. ·         Web of Complexity- Due to the fact that there are many different layers that are viewed while using the Google Earth tool; it is easy to get your view muddled as you zoom in to any given location.

Opportunities ·         I’m ready for My Close-up! With the ‘zoom’ feature in the Google Earth tool, it is easy to get a better view of the parts of the world you select. ·         Constant Updates- Because the wider community is able to make changes to older information and add new information, there are constant updates to the data on this tool, keeping the user forever up-to-date.

Threats ·         Button, Button; who’s got the Button? - The tool bar on the Google Earth technology has far too many choices! This can make it difficult to use and a steep learning curve will be necessary. This tool may simply be too troublesome for some individuals who may not get so far into its use to see the benefits. ·         Too Much Information!- Because this tool has so much information, the user needs a very high speed internet connection to use it!

Google Earth (2013). In About.com. Retrieved from http://geography.about.com/od/geographicproducts/gr/googleearth.htm

Google Earth for Educators (2013). In Google Earth. Retrieved from http://sitescontent.google.com/google-earth-for-educators/

Learn (2013). In Google Earth. Retrieved from http://www.google.com.au/earth/learn/

Why Teach With Google Earth? (2012). In Pedagogy in Action: The SERC portal for Educators. Retrieved from (http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/google_earth/why.html

No Time like the Prezi!

No Time like the Prezi!

 

As part of this week’s assignment, we are to explore and analyse one out of a select group of IT tools for educational purposes. I chose Prezi. Like many of you, when I heard the word ‘Prezi’ I was left scratching my head as to the meaning of this tool, having never heard of it before!

For the uninitiated, Prezi is a brilliantly simple technology to use! It is a wonderfully flexible blank canvas with which the user can create presentations and graphs, mind maps and the like with or without the templates provided. Here is a simple example that took me about 20 minutes to complete:

 

Several key features about Prezi make it ideal for turning the mundane classroom presentation on its head. For example; The average PowerPoint presentation is simply a matter of flicking from slide to slide, sometimes with no recollection of the content on the slides before and no real physical connection to the slides ahead (more, simply as a reminder to the educator as to what they were going to say to the students, than for active participation by said students). Prezi’s zoom tool changes that by allowing the presenter to zoom in on aspects of a presentation instead of flicking from slide to slide, to get the viewer a better idea of the presentation as a whole.

For example; in this very professional-looking presentation on the Western Lowland Gorilla by J.D. Vorheis (2012)…

It is incredibly easy to zoom in on one particular aspect of the presentation!

 

This tends to make lessons more interactive, and hence, more memorable and fun (particularly for younger students)!

Encourage students to use this tool and in no time, professional and easy to read presentations can be created by students as individuals and in groups. Another great aspect of this tool is that it is not just available at school. If students do not get their presentations done in time at school, they can go home and collaborate online with their classmates (no more excuses!). Older children can be encouraged to create their own digital resume and portfolios. A ‘how to’ presentation can be found on this link: You Tube- Prezi

Engage Your Class (2013). In Prezi. Retrieved from http://prezi.com/prezi-for-education/

Prezi (2013). In Instructional Tech Talk: Education and Technology. Retrieved from http://instructionaltechtalk.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-prezi/prezi/

Vorheis, J.D (2012). The Western Lowland Gorillas. Retrieved from http://prezi.com/0kzxesbyv5hc/the-western-lowland-gorillas/

To Website, or Not to Website!

This week, we (my tutorial class and I) were asked to create a website to endeavour to expand our ICT horizons. I was one of the previously uninitiated and had no clue as to what I was getting myself into. Until I had done my readings for my ICT class, I believed that one needed to know codes and algorithms (A++, Linux and the like!) in order to successfully navigate my way around to creating a website. But, I have since been informed, times have changed!! It took me a grand total of half an hour to set up my website (and that included making it look pretty!). ‘If it is this easy, why didn’t I try it before’, I pondered. I suppose, as is the reason for most things, I feared the unknown (maybe ‘fear’ is too stronger a word. ‘I am lazy’ is probably a better answer!). But the fear is felt by many older individuals (both teachers and in the wider community) who did not grow up with a computer in their household, and hence, have the opportunity to explore the internet world. Is using webpages as a tool for education really such a bad thing? Will it further or hinder the educational experience of our students?

The strength of online learning lies in the massive amount (both educational and not so educational) of information that can be found on the internet- although sources must be checked thoroughly! Also the ability to learn anywhere at any time and any pace (University of Illinois, 2010)! Students, no matter what race, religion, age or gender are less pronounced, leaving less room for stereotypes, so students can freely express (within reason!) opinions and, hopefully, contribute in a rational and logical manner to forums and other such mediums.

However, computers are not the most reliable of things and are sometimes inclined to do the opposite of exactly what you want them to- particularly when you are trying to reach a deadline! Also, not everyone is at the same level of competency when it comes to the use of computers. This is why we must begin the education of the general public, not just in schools, in new technologies. As my aim is to become a Primary/State/Prep Teacher, I would develop activities on my class website that encouraged parents to get involved in their child’s learning journey! We must also take into account that some students may know far more than the teacher/facilitator of the website (be careful of hackers!). This can cause frustration for some students and boredom may set in. Hence, Teachers must try to keep up to date with technology.

To conclude; Yes! Computers and websites are absolutely wonderful when they are working, but always have a Plan B!!!!

Wikis and Blogs and Websites, Oh My!

This week we have been asked to venture forth and create wikis and a website; a scary prospect for a computer illiterate such as myself! More on the pressing matters of Wikis and Websites in blogs to come, but for the time being I been asked to discuss Blogs in education/ the classroom.

At first I was hesitant as to the purpose of blogs in a classroom, but then I realised; if we do not teach them to use ICTs effectively and a responsible manner, then who else will?! To some teachers blogging for educational purposes in a primary school setting (as my aim is to become a Primary School/ Prep/State School Teacher, I feel it is probably more constructive to focus on these earlier years and not the more senior ones!) blogging is, in fact something they have been doing for years!!                                                                                                                                                                            Take for example, Kathleen Morris’ ‘Primary Tech’ website (http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/information-about-educational-blogging/) on which she indicates; this will be her sixth year in using blogging to educate her classes. It is a wonderful and informative website, with samples and leads to her blogs. But, as well as informing me, I find it has given me confidence with which to begin my own blog with my class (once I receive one as a fully qualified teacher! I do not intend on hijacking anyone’s classroom!). As Sir Francis Bacon once quoted; ‘knowledge is power’. This is revealing itself to be quite true on the blogging front!

More and more, we are seeing schools embracing blogs as a method of making education more palatable to a new generation! This seems to be occurring particularly in New Zealand. The Waiuku Primary School has a blog for their school and one blog per classroom streaming off it! This allows not only students and teachers to converse and monitor progress, but also parents and guardians. View this wonderful innovation at http://web.waiuku.school.nz/class-blogs.

All in all, a really positive experience! I can’t wait to begin my adventures in Wikis and Websites!        

Wiki- Try Something New!

This week we (my ICT class) were asked to partake in a ‘Wiki’ forum with regards to mobile phones in the classroom (for educational purposes!). This is an interesting concept, as I reflected in my comments using the ‘Yellow Hat’ (also known as ‘the optimistic response’) from de Bono’s ‘Six Hats’ concept.

The concept of technologies such as mobile phones being used in classrooms seems to have a very mixed response of excitement and fear.    
             Excitement for the possibilities yet to come; it is almost inconceivable that, in even 5 years time, the technology we currently find new and wonderful will be completely obsolete! Some concepts that haven’t even been thought of yet will be seen as ‘old news!’ (I’m still waiting for my hover car to be invented!).
             Fearfulness of the unknown has caused a great educational rift, however, primarily due to fear of the unknown!            
             It is in the former school of thought that I agree with this new concept of mobile phones being used in schools as educational utensils! For, if we don’t begin to use them soon, we may actually find ourselves completely behind the game in the very near future!

By means of learning theories, I found this exercise to be strongly based in four main theories- Behaviourism, Cognitivism, Social Constructivism and Connectivism.              
               Behaviourism is displayed as the mobile phone wiki laid out (in table form) quite clearly the expectations of each row and column. A certain evolution can be seen down the table, as one student learns from another student, and that student learns from them before him or herself and slowly the responses in the table become more complex and thought-out.
               Cognitivism is observed in the packaging everything into neat little boxes; bite-sized bits of expectation of requirement.
               Social Constructivism is shown when we were each expected to ‘put on a hat’ and express our own views and opinions based on ‘one's prior experiences, mental structures, and beliefs’ (Jonasson, 1991).
            Finally, Connectivism is shown simply the use of the internet and computers. For some of us, this was a new experience, so not only were we learning about de Bono’s concept and mobile phones in educational contexts in classrooms, we were also learning (and hopefully growing more confident in our ability!) to use new methods of communication on the internet!

I found this experience of working on the mobile phone wiki quite, enjoyable (and was quite proud of myself for trying something new and scary!!).     
             The simplicity of the wiki and lack of ‘excess information’ (as it was all in ‘dot point’ and, as such, lead straight to the point!). The labeling was clear, not much room to digress as is so common in other exercises like essay-writing.

All in all, an educational and amusing experience!

Prensky: Enraged or Simply Irritated?

I do not think today’s learners ‘demand’ technology in the classroom. Far from it!

As expressed by Greg today, in the ICTs tutorial, I believe it is difficult to believe that students demand anything ICT-wise, in the classroom. Indeed, it took him months to shake the common belief by the classroom body that education and learning is far more than just textbook readings and photocopies of monotonous activites.

It was not until university, sadly enough, when I was first encouraged to think for myself! Beforehand I, like many students before me, simply wrote and did what the teachers told me to do without ever daring to question the methods the teacher was using!

Unfortunately, my experience of schooling was summed up by Peter Drucker’s (1992) quote (perhaps taken out of context!):

                ‘We know nothing about motivation. All we can do is write a book about it.’

-       I understand the content and what the content is about. But I lack the emotional connection to it!!

As such, although I criticize the concept of today’s learners ‘demanding’ technology in the classroom, I do understand the ‘engage me or enrage me’ concept. Although, perhaps ‘enrage’, in my experience is a rather strong word.                                                                                                        

As is understood from Prensky’s (2005) book ‘Engage Me or Enrage Me’; the ‘enraged’ are those students (fast-growing in number) who, aptly put, ‘tune us out’ (Prensky, 2005). To these students, school is just the thing to kill time between breakfast and sleep.

So although ‘enraged’, would not be a term I would use. Mildly annoyed or irritated could be an appropriate substitute if they rhymed with ‘engage’.