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 14th 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
