Reflective Synopsis

 ‘If students aren’t engaged they are enraged’ (Prensky. 2005).

With technologies continuously being updated and improving, educators need to stay abreast of the changes to ensure learners stay engaged.

Why we use ICT’s in the classroom is more important than knowing how to use the technologies. We must also have explicit outcomes in mind. E-learning in the classroom is important because learners can spend more time researching, discovering, problem-solving and developing higher order thinking. My reflective synopsis will address the legal and ethical issues that arise when using online tools. It also addresses collaborative learning, pedagogy, learning theories and frameworks.

E-learning could be described as the use of technology to support and enhance learning practice. (Mayes and De Freitas, 2013)

 

While encouraging learners to participate in online activities we need to monitor, coordinate and educate our students about safe legal and ethical practices.

During the last few weeks whilst creating blogs, wikis, glogster and engaging in other online spaces, I became more aware of the issues arising from using these tools. Students need to be made aware of the dangers of sharing information online. In the reflections made each week of the online tools to be assessed, I used a SWOT analysis and noted that online safety would be an issue.

It is also our duty of care to take reasonable precaution to avoid others being harmed. This includes while working online. When encouraging students to use online spaces we need to identify hazards, assess the risks, control risk by minimising or eliminating them, provide instruction, training and supervision to students to ensure they are well aware of the dangers of working online.

This youtube clip that would be great to show 8-10 year olds. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o8auwnJtqE

This one is aimed at 11-16 year olds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5OeGeudBM

Plagiarism is also an issue that students need to be made aware of. They need to know that it is not ethical to simply use someone else’s work without giving the credit to the owner. Even using their favourite song in the background of a presentation is not acceptable practice.

Collaborative learning is valuable in the classroom as each learner can bring their experience and knowledge to the group. This gives the group a range of resources with which to work with. Collaborative learning enhances retention and mastery of materials, speeds up problem solving, can increase the production of new ideas and encourages higher order thinking. Collaboration is made easy with the use of ICT’s as students can connect with classmates or with others anywhere in the world. It can be done anywhere as long as there is a device and internet accessibility.

A great example of collaborative e-learning would be a wiki. Wikis are collaborative websites, where students are able to collect, organise content that is created and can be revised by its creators. This is a brilliant way to share information and should be easily accessible. However, it can also be made private and only available to particular users. This type of collaboration also provides contributors with a sense of ownership. Having numerous information donors enables the sharing of information and knowledge amongst its members, enhancing the learning experience. We all contributed to a wiki at the beginning of this course where we were given ample scaffolding and support to enable all students to make contributions on the given example about using mobile phones in the classroom. Scaffolding included the use of DeBono’s Six Thinking Hats. To rediscover my reflection on the uses of DeBono’s Hats, you could follow this link: http://suemarshall-cqu.blogspot.com.au/search?updated-max=2013-07-24T03:54:00-07:00&max-results=7 

Deliberate pedagogical design is needed for effective learning. Educators need to provide careful scaffolding and structure for students to employ their prior knowledge and experiences to create meaning and new understanding. This was again, well-illustrated within the wiki activity that we participated in at the onset of the course. E-learning contexts appear to support the exchange of information, rehearsal, feedback and application.

The use of the T-Pack framework incorporates three primary forms of knowledge:  Content, Pedagogy and Technology. It also emphasises the formation of new kinds of knowledge where they intersect. This framework can influence the way educators can use more effective teaching strategies and employ technologies to assist them.

 

ICT by Teachers (2013). T-Pack framework.

 

The strategies within a pedagogy that need to be employed include facilitating collaborative learning, profile students so we know their individual learning styles, planning problem based, real-life learning situations, relevant learning, ownership of learning, enablement of deep knowledge through higher order thinking. It also needs to value cultural knowledge, be engaging and supportive.

The importance of Bloom’s taxonomy is to clarify objectives for students and educators. It assists educators in planning and delivering appropriate experiences and to help design valid assessment tasks and strategies. A model of Bloom’ taxonomy that is relevant to this subject is shown below.


 

 

Educators in the 21^st Century must consider concepts including Connectivism, Cognitive and Social Constructivism and Multiple Intelligences with focuses on 21st century learning, communities of practice, digital natives and immigrants and learning preferences, when planning and teaching to ensure students are receiving the most beneficial learning experience. It is my understanding that eLearning is related to Connectivism, where learners use prior knowledge to make connections to acquire new knowledge and skills. It is also related to Constructivism, where learners are involved in collaborative and independent tasks, where learners share their knowledge and prior experience to create new knowledge and understanding.

 

In the future, I will be incorporating ICT’s into the day to day working in the classroom. I will need to be aware of my own learning style and the learning styles of the students to be able to best cater for the needs of all learners.

Providing opportunities to utilise ICT’s in the classroom, in the 21^st Century is essential. The right ICT’s can cater for all learning styles, are engaging, increases learner motivation and promote independent learning.

We mustn’t forget to correctly scaffold activities and support learners throughout the journey.

We also have to realise that we shouldn’t just use an ICT just because it is there, it must be an important part of the learning.

 

 

References

ICT by Teachers (2013). T-Pack framework. [image online] Available at: http://ictbyteachers.weebly.com/frameworks.html [Accessed: 10 August, 2013].

Marshall, S. (2013, 10 July, 2013). DeBono's Hats. Managing E-Learning, [web log] Retrieved from: http://suemarshall-cqu.blogspot.com.au/search?updated-max=2013-07-24T03:54:00-07:00&max-results=7 [Accessed: 10 August, 2013].

Mayes, T. and De Freitas, S. (2013). JISC e-Learning Models Desk Study. [e-book] [Accessed: 10 August, 2013].

Prensky, M. (2005). Engage Me or Enrage Me. [online] Retrieved from: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM0553.pdf [Accessed: 10 Aug 2013].

University of Hull, UK (2013). iPadagogy. [image online] Available at: http://www.mmiweb.org.uk/hull/ipad/padagogy.html [Accessed: 11 August, 2013].

YouTube (1905). Consequences: Assembly for 11 16 year olds. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK5OeGeudBM [Accessed: 10 Aug 2013].

YouTube (1880). Jigsaw: Assembly for 8 -10 year olds. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o8auwnJtqE [Accessed: 10 Aug 2013].