Charlie and Lola part 2

listen to ‘Charlie and Lola part 2’ on Audioboo

Charlie and Lola Part 1

listen to ‘Charlie and Lola Part 1’ on Audioboo

Reflective Synopsis

We have a vast ocean of learning and teaching resources available on the internet these days. We also have access to tools with which to utilize these resources in the classroom. ‘e-Learning’ marries the learning potential of digital tools with learning theories, learning styles and good pedagogical practice.

Digital tools are adaptable and complimentary to each of the commonly referred to learning theories (behaviourism, cognitivism, social constructivism and connectivism).

·        On a behavioural level children learn new technological skills and experience success using these skills.

·        Cognitivism promotes learning in terms of sensory input which is processed onto long term memory after it is ‘learned’. ICT provides for all types of sensory input.

·        Connectivism emphasises the importance of knowing how and where to find information. Equipping children with this knowledge is very relevant with the ease of access to online resources.

·        Perhaps the most relevant learning theory for e-Learning is the social constructivist approach. Children learn from experience, social interaction and scaffolding. ICT’s have so many applications available to embrace these aspects. Children and teachers are able to investigate, communicate and collaborate. Online tools such as blogs and Wikispace open up opportunities for scaffolding and enriched learning experiences (see Appendix A). This wikispace activity is an example of how collaboration can occur to inform analysis and evaluation.

Digital tools are adaptable to each and every learning style. Interactive whiteboards (available in most classrooms now) allow for interactive PowerPoint presentations, video and projection of computer applications. Mobile devices such as iPods allow for participation by methods limited only by imagination. Children can participate in the simplest of educational apps or engage in their own video presentations (see Appendix B). They can resource information on any topic with access to the internet. Visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners can be engaged with considered choice of activity by the teacher. Learning experiences can be open ended and easily scaffolded (see Appendix C).  This example of a classroom wikispace exercise could be followed up with further research. Stages can cater for active or reflective learners, sensing or intuitive learners, visual or verbal learners, sequential or global learners (Felder, R., Soloman, B. n.d).

Children today are exposed to technology everywhere. Most can navigate a touch screen better than their parents. They are very much ‘digital natives’ (Prensky, M. 2001). Pedagogical practice needs to be ICT inclusive to keep children engaged in their learning. Lesson plans are not limited by content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. We can add technological knowledge now that we have explored and are aware of the myriad of learning resources available electronically and online. We can identify the particular learning styles in the classroom and have a much greater choice in learning experiences that support the best possible learning.

This greater choice in learning experiences provides greater opportunity for promoting higher order thinking. Simple knowledge and understanding can lead to further questions and research, analysis and evaluation.

The Australian Curriculum includes requirements for including ICT’s in student learning. The following quote is from the “Scope of ICT Capability” within the curriculum.

“Students develop capability in using ICT for tasks associated with information access and management, information creation and presentation, problem solving, decision making, communication, creative expression, and empirical reasoning. This includes conducting research, creating multimedia information products, analysing data, designing solutions to problems, controlling processes and devices, and supporting computation while working independently and in collaboration with others.”

Given that the Australian Curriculum recognises the importance of ICT inclusion and requires deep experience for learners (from information access to creative expression and problem solving), teachers need to be technologically competent and able to address curriculum scope for ICT with productive pedagogies.

Lesson design with digital tools is easy to apply productive pedagogy dimensions to. The scope to extend and scaffold learning and thinking is as vast as the internet (see Appendix D). Mobile devices have immediate access to educational apps that can be quickly and easily sourced as needed.

The implications for myself involve improving my technological competence and exposure. This e-Learning journey has enlightened me to so many digital tools that I had not used before. I have explored along the way:

·        Blogs

·        QR codes and applications

·        Mind maps

·        wikispace

·        uploaded and embedded items to blogs

·        resizing photos

·        podcasting

·        video uploads

·        animation presentations

·        Prezi presentations

·        Glogster presentations

·        PowerPoint presentations

·        Educational apps for mobile devices

·        Working legally, safely and ethically online

I have learned about the infinite potential of these tools to provide enriching learning experiences for children. E-learning experiences can be designed to engage all of the learning styles in a classroom of young learners. They can embrace and enhance the social and collaborative qualities that good pedagogy requires.

Equipped with this knowledge I can develop my teaching capabilities to prepare appropriate learning experiences for young learners that will achieve the highest learning outcomes and promote higher level thinking. I can assess a schools’ resources and students’ learning needs. I can seek out resources and ideas online then apply innovative ways to meet them.

 

References

ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority – Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capability

Retrieved from

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Information-and-Communication-Technology-capability/Introduction/Scope-of-ICT-capability

 

Felder, R., Soloman, B. (n.d) Learning Styles and Strategies

Retrieved from

http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

 

Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

MCB University Press, Vol.9 No.5, October 2001

 

 

Appendices

Appendix A

http://debonoshats.wikispaces.com/de+Bono+17

 

Appendix B

http://alliwarham.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/reflection-3-wk4-images-podcasts-and.html

 

Appendix C

https://alliselearningwiki.wikispaces.com/spinach+growing+project

Appendix D

http://alliwarham.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/reflection-5-wk-6.html

Reflection 5 Wk 6

As the final reflection in this exploration of digital learning tools I thought it fitting to focus on my favourite 'tool' so far rather than a particular software package or app. That is the iPod Touch. I have owned one myself for about 3 years now. I only used it for music until my daughters got their own last year and enlightened me to the wonderful world of apps.
Watching my children use them with ease and seeing how children flock to another child with an iPod shows what a fantastically engaging little device they are. Almost every child has access to an iPod, iPhone or iPad in their household and they know how to navigate the touch screen.

iPod positives -

• portability
• relatively cheap
• millions of available apps
• privacy and restriction settings
• most households/children have one or a compatible device
• internet accessibility - immediate download to blogs etc.
• user friendly

iPod negatives -

• social networking issues (cyber bullying)
• can be dropped
• charging needs (battery life is long enough for classroom exercises)
• cost of phasing in to schools - parents might not be supportive of supplying own devices

In an early childhood/early primary setting the app store offers a limitless supply of potential learning tools. I downloaded an app called "Starfall Pumpkin". This was one of 5 options that appeared when I searched "learn measurement". It has limited applications but could be incorporated into a Halloween theme or vegetable growing activity. Children can estimate the weight of a pumpkin by selecting a unit of measurement (1kg, 5kg or 10kg) and adding units to a scale until they match the pumpkin's weight. In this way children are learning to compare weights, estimate and choose appropriate units of measurement. Inclusion of real physical pumpkins and different types of scales in the classroom would provide for the 'hands-on' needs of young learners. IPods work beautifully to this end by providing visual, auditory and touch sensory input for children to process.

"Starfall Pumpkin" 





Children can use iPods to video (and upload to YouTube), photograph, record audio (Audioboo), as explored in previous blogs. As the school year progressed children could be assigned more detailed tasks that required more individual thinking and input. A research project on 'insects in the school grounds' could involve children photographing and uploading photos to a class page then resourcing information online on each insect as a class.
Personally I have found trying to teach early primary children in a "computer room" a fruitless exercise. There are always computers/headphones that aren't working and it is difficult to see each child and their progress behind the screens. It is difficult for the children to gain a teacher's attention. The activities seem quite clumsy when compared to touchscreen capabilities of the iPod touch.

Further examples:

Image from http://www.slideshare.net/jenjongste/mobile-learning-5096525.

Reflection4 Wk5 grp3 tools

This week we have explored the plethora of options available online that support the collection and collation of multimedia resources for presentation purposes. We focused on PowerPoint, Prezi and Glogster.

• The animations and simulations that can be used in presentations offer substantial advantages over print through complex interactions and illustration of abstract concepts.
• They offer a virtual experience where the "real thing" may not be feasible.
• They are web-based (PowerPoint can be uploaded) and accessible anytime.
• These tools can be embedded easily into a larger learning context.
• Glogster is an "online scrapbooking tool" that offers so many enhancements to learning in a fun way. Teachers can set up a class account and be emailed passwords for each student's private account within it http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/dyck/dyck037.shtml.
• Prezi is a brilliant tool for "global learners" as it uses frames rather than the linear slides of PowerPoint (see blog entry below).

I have chosen to focus my exploration and reflection this week on PowerPoint.
My only experience with PowerPoint up until now has been limited to viewing presentations and offering "assistance" to my 10yr old daughter on a couple of assignments for school.
My basic presentation is the beginnings of a learning tool for recognizing time on a clock face aimed at early primary (prep) aged children. In the first slide I have listed the times of the school day that events occur. The second slide is a clock face with the first time. I have added a question with answer buttons 'yes' or 'no'. The buttons contain hyperlinks to an animated page for a right or wrong answer.
Questions can be added to each page following, varying the way children look at the time and apply it to their real life situation. We could ask "What happens at this time of the day?" and progress to, "How long is the lunch break?". Children could also click on and rotate the hands of the clock to different times.
PowerPoint can be used to

• analyse a process through sequence of events
• make interactive storybooks or quizzes
• group and ungroup illustrations to make start/stop animations
• create 'virtual museums' http://christykeeler.com/EducationalVirtualMuseums.html

PowerPoint presents a linear learning experience, good for sequential learners. This can be frustrating for the global learners though who look for the bigger picture first.

This is the link to my wikispace, where I have uploaded the "Tell the Time" PowerPoint presentation:

https://alliselearningwiki.wikispaces.com/Tell+the+time+Powerpoint

Exploring Prezi

http://prezi.com/d4wbdw9ysriv/present/?auth_key=q9o7t9i&follow=sd8q4qrpyadl
 This is the link to my first foray with Prezi. It seems a really attractive way of presentation. For early primary learners I can see the potential it holds to encourage logical problem solving steps when presented with a "big picture".

Reflection 3 Wk4 Images, Podcasts and Digital Video

This week we have continued our exploration of digital technologies and their potential in learning environments with images, podcasts and digital video. I have chosen to focus this reflection on digital video, purely because I enjoyed this one the most whilst exploring the tools. The four posts below provide examples of my exploration of Mobaphoto to resize images, Audioboo (podcast), YouTube (video) and finally a Voki.
Visual, tactile and kinaesthetic senses are particularly important for young learners (http://www.acu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/195676/Chapter_3_Multimodal_Literacy_M_Walsh.pdf). Engaging young learners in activities involving digital movie making provides opportunity to cater to the many different learning styles of lower primary aged children. Also the additional sensory input from learning in this way creates linked memories enhancing retrieval (http://www.eschoolnews.com/2008/03/26/analysis-how-multimedia-can-improve-learning/%20).

As well as traditional literacy, children need to learn skills of visual and aural literacy. These skills help their understanding and abilities to think and communicate (http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=145984).

Below I have embedded my first foray with the Voki application. As a digital video tool that is very easy to navigate, lower primary children could be engaged easily in their learning. Mobile devices such as iPods make individual contributions to group activities so accessible. Such participation provides learning outcomes like :

• higher order thinking skills
• communication skills
• presentation skills
• literacy
• organizational and teamwork skills

IPods allow direct upload to sites such as YouTube and Flickr, both of which are very secure and accessible to all participants.

The example I used with my Voki was a small history research assignment. Children could be divided into pairs or groups with an aspect or a few questions to research. Research could be using the internet or library books, or watching a suitable documentary. The Voki can be dressed and customized by the children. They could write their own script and record their own voices or select a voice from the Voki menu with an accent as I did. This required typing a script into the app (a literacy skill). The Voki provides a fun, engaging method of presentation after uploading to YouTube or a class Blog page.