Wiki's, Blogs, RSS Readers, Voki's and Engagement Theory!

Hello All,

I hope you will take pleasure in reading yet another post for my Blog. I am enjoying Blogging the more I do it. Everyday I am thinking of new ways to integrate technology into the classroom. I am becoming more open minded about the positive effects ICTs can have on 21^st century education.

This week I have enjoyed creating a Wiki. I can see how beneficial a Wiki can be to a learner, it gives the students a sense of responsibility, as they are in control of the information and data that is placed on their page. Moreover, I see Wiki’s being a great tool for group assignments as it allows for the collection and collaboration of information all in one location, on the Internet. In my undergraduate degree I did a lot of group work assessment tasks, I wish our group would have been introduced to Wiki’s. Using a Wiki is a lot easier then individual group emails, phone calls and text messages. All information is provided on one page and every student has the opportunity for equal input. Wiki’s are a great tool to engage students in learning as they are able to take on the constructivist approach. Wiki’s permit for active student learning, moreover, it allows teachers to place assignments, projects and the resources students need all in the one place, in order to create a successful learning experience. I think Wiki’s are not only great to use in education, but in all areas of life, from sporting teams, family events and organising rosters for a business.

Below is an interesting clip about why schools should introduce Wiki’s into student learning.

This week is our first official introduction to Web Logs, or Blogs as we call them. This course has pushed me to explore with technology I never previously felt the need to interact with. As I have Blogged in previous posts I am becoming addicted to this technology and I am enjoying exploring its added benefits to my own university studies. I am going to continue to use a Blog after the completion of ICTs for Learning Design. I am now discovering that a Blog is a great way to keep a professional journal. I love that I am able to engage in professional discourse electronically with my peers. I have used examples of other students Blogs in conversations I have had. I was debating about how often ICTs should be used within a classroom and if schools embraced the power of using ICTs, with a fellow student. He directed me to a peer Blog he had read. Due to this technology I was then able to engage further in the conversation with a third party. This amazing technology is allowing students and teachers in the 21^st century to embrace connectivism and build networks and partnerships.

Having seen first hand the positive effects this Blog is having on my education and learning process (as I am excited to write on here, add links, share videos and respond to posts), I cannot wait to integrate this technology into different KLAs.

RSS READER

I was apprehensive about setting up an RSS Reader for my Blog. I was nervous I would not be able to use the technology and I thought that going to each Blog individually would be just as easy. I was wrong! Using the RSS Reader has made following my peers Blogs so easy. Every time I log onto Google Reader it automatically highlights who has posted an update to their Blog and with just one click I am able to read the post.

RSS Readers are a fantastic tool and I will incorporate the use of them into my classroom. Using an RSS Reader with your class has endless possibilities. An RSS Reader could be used to inform students when you have added new homework for them to complete (to a sight much like Moodle). Using an RSS Reader can also inform students, parents and teachers when a new Blog has been posted. Additionally, RSS Readers can be used to follow topics for a current Unit of Work, thus allowing the teacher and students to see if an update has been made to a website about a particular topic they are following (ie. The Australian Government- follow news sites regarding decisions made in Parliament).

This week I also created several Voki’s. Voki’s are brilliant tools to use in the classroom. The following film clip demonstrates how students use technology to create a Voki.

ICTs- 10 out of 10

Okay,

I am seeing how students become addicted to this technology and how it would make them learn and be engaged. It is 1.30am on a Saturday morning and I am up playing with my blog, created a Voki and looking on youtube (things I have never done before). All of these things are beneficial to my course, but most importantly I am enjoying myself as I learn. I think it is fantastic to be exposed to the types of ICTs used in schools today. I am learning first hand the ICTs we are expected to use in classrooms and developing a passion for the pedagogy I am going to teach. I can defiantly see how student-centric learning will enhance students’ grades, motivation and engagement with the curriculum. 10 out of 10 for integrating Information and Communication Technologies into 21st century education.

Chloe :)

Lets get creative!

Wow I just went to the Beyond School Blog and was amazed to scroll down and see a ‘youtube’ link to The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I was lucky enough to see a taping of Craig’s show in December last year. I was in L.A standing on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a gentleman gave us free tickets to go to the tapping. I was concerned because I had never heard of him, so we asked a few locals and they were like ‘he is okay’! Sooooo we went along. We waited 2 hours to see him, hesitant if we would even get in the studio (its tiny). We made the cut off by two people and in we went. We were unsure what we were going to see, thinking maybe he was like Rove or David Letterman, we waited with anticipation… Well this guy was hilarious!

I guess what this Blog is trying to say is, the youth (not only in America, but in Australia) as so consumed with ‘stuff’. They want it all, the fancy clothes, the flash mobile phones, the top shelf sneakers. They aren’t concerned with their education; they are concerned with their image and reputation. I think if someone like Craig (who is well know in USA) can help the youth understand that education is important, that we all grow up and can no longer rely on ‘we didn’t know better’ then it may help to emphasise the importance of learning. However, we as teachers should recognise what these children are reacting to and how powerful advertising is and bottle it and use it as a mechanism to enhance learning in our classrooms.

If the youth are reacting to television shows, use this form of media to teach them. Use shows that have morals and lessons to teach them about the world (ie. Civics or SOSE). If they are spending their spare time on the Internet, get them to use social networking sites (appropriately, such as blogs) to express their feelings about learning and use it as a learning tool. Set up times to go on the Internet and have conferences and group discussions.

I think that teaching in the 21st century isn’t a profession it is an art. We as Learning Managers need to master the ‘art’ of education. We need to find new and innovative ways to interact with our students and encourage them to perform. I believe if students do not know they are learning, they will be happy to learn, we just need to be creative about how we go about it.

Below is the Craig Ferguson clip I am referring to for anyone that has not seen it.

Which style would you prefer?

Hi All,

Was just wondering which style of teaching you would prefer? I am all for integrating ICTs into the classroom and using it throughout all KLAs, not just to teach Information and Communication Technologies. However, I personally like a little "chalk and talk". I like to listen and write things down. It is how I feel I best learn, odd as it may seem, considering I went to school for the most part of the 21st Century.

I would love to hear how much ICT you think there should be in our classrooms and when you feel using them would be most appropriate.

Chloe :)

Pedagogical Change Through ICTs

Hi All,

Just thought this was an interesting video about the effective use of ICTs in classrooms. It talks about making pedagogical change through the use of ICTs and how technology can be used in delivering content, peer assessment and motivation.

ENJOY!
Chloe

ADHD... A Learning Difficulty or just bad teaching?

Multiple Intelligence

After watching the video on the courseware about by Sir Ken Robinson I felt moved.  It is interesting to see how society as a whole has shifted.  I think it is important to embrace all children’s individual differences and use their diversity to create more amazing things and develop innovative ideas, which have not been previously welcomed in the public school system.  I found it extraordinary to think about the number of people that have been diagnosed with ADHD in our society, that may have been able to flourish elsewhere, much like Gillian Lynne, if they too have had to opportunity to nurture their talents, instead of it being ‘educated out of them’.

 

During my childhood a main role model in my life was illiterate.  He had never been given the opportunity to attend school past Grade 4 and as a consequence could not read and write as an adult.  During his adult years, he approached many different educational institution to help develop his reading and writing skills, however, not for lack of determination and desire to learn he was unable to master the everyday skills we take for grated, such as reading, writing, recording telephone numbers, ordering food off a menu and typing on a computer.  However, he has lead an amazing life and has skills that could put any educated man to shame.  He is a Master Farrier by trade, in addition to being a horse trainer and is exceptional at his job.  He has acquired the skills and knowledge through applying different learning techniques (though incorporating audio and visual learning, such as watching demonstrations and then replicating what he has been taught and putting it into practice). 

 

Therefore I have a strong desire to help students in similar situations and I can only hope that I, as a learning manager have to opportunity to help students who have learning difficulties realise their true calling and utilise what we now know about different learning styles and multiple intelligences to enhance their unique talents. 

Somethings I picked up from Week 2!

Things I have Learnt this Week

1. Use any form of media to engage the students.  It is not important the method you use to teach, it is important what you are teaching is reaching the students on an intellectual level.
2. From this weeks readings, I have found it important to ensure when creating learning experiences (lesson plans) that I do not just talk to the students about the content or make them read specific pages in the text book and get them to complete the follow on questions.  I understand that my job as a learning manager is to enhance student learning, by making it student-centred learning.  That is learning that is purposeful and relates to aspects of everyday life.
3. All students belong in the classroom, regardless of their level of achievement.

Everyone has different ‘gifts and talents’ that are not always recognised in a school environment

The Knowledge Economy

Week Ones content for ICTs related to the shift in the worlds economy. In previous economies the most sort after resources were agriculture and natural resources. Now, an economic shift to a knowledge based economy, has put education in its most significant position to date.

The weekly readings highlight the importance of learning and the role a Learning Manager can play in enhancing the skills of students that are required in 21st century employment. The knowledge economy is vital for Australia to embrace. From the readings, I have learnt that knowledge as a resource cannot be exhausted but can be repeatedly used, as it is not destroyed in consumption. Moreover, I discovered that the implementation and awareness of Mode 2 knowledge is vital for Learning Managers to exploit, as it is much more likely to typify ways of operating in the new knowledge industry than mode 1. Thus, as a Learning Manager in this era, it is of vital importance to enhance the skills of students in all Key Learning Areas, to ensure their survival for now and well past the era of the knowledge economy.

Something To Think About!

Hi all,

So we don’t actually have to start officially using our Blogs until next week, however I thought that I might get myself a little familiar with how to use it before we start to be assessed. I find this all a little bit daunting. I have used Blogs in previous courses I have studied at CQUni, however, we were never required to use them outside posting assessment and the depth in which they were used by all student (mainly due to the lack of feedback) was relatively poor. However, I am excited to use this technology in my further studies, as it seems to be the way of the future. I think it is fantastic Scot has made this apart of the courseware. I think it is important that us, as soon to be educators have the ability to connect with our students on their level. It seems youth of today enjoy using technology and I think if we can use it as a tool to help our learners achieve and stimulate their minds then why not!

Throughout this course I have been reading widely. On thing that has stuck in my mind was to use SMS and other interactive technologies as a way to communicate with students and stimulate them to learn. I am not sure if any of you are Simpsons fans, but if you are you may recall a lesson where Lisa falls in love with the substitute teacher, he represents everything she has hoped for in a teacher. He brought a new sense of life to the class; he was fun, creative and connected with the class on their level. He gave them all ‘cell phones’ to communicate with him and the class enjoyed doing ‘pop quizzes’ because he would text them the question and they had to text the answer back to him. It seems to me that The Simpsons have well and truly hit the nail on the head as to where education is heading and is even giving teachers of our generation new and innovative ideas to capture the attention of the students in ways that have previously been seen as unorthodox.

Just something to think about… I would love to hear any feedback and look forward to following all of your Blogs.

Warm Regards
Chloe

Hi All,

Just creating my first blog for ICTs for Learning Design. I am very excited for this coming term and look forward to sharing all my thoughts and ideas with you all.

Chloe =)