Analysis of digital Technologies
“As the 21st century “digital native” beings to infiltrate today’s classrooms, the effective ultilisation of technology continues to challenge educators. Critical to any teaching/ learning environment is the ability to engage and connect the learner to transform any knowledge into a personal education experience” (Bacer, 2009).
It was been a very interactive, enjoyable and very knowledgeable six weeks. To engage fully in this reflective synopsis please refer to my weekly involvement of groups of technologies tools and my involvement in the two wiki activities below. Throughout my Managing E- Learning journey I have explored many new amazing technologies that could be used in the classroom to enhance student learning; however, I would like to bring to your attention four, in particular. When selecting the right technology to use, Mishra and Koehler (2006) states, “it is important to select appropriate content knowledge and processes for the purpose of student learning, know what pedagogies will best support great learning, and consider the ICT and digital tools that will best combine with the pedagogy and content to transform learning.” Mishra and Koehler (2006), recommends educators use the TPCK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge), is the basis of good teaching with technology and requires an understanding of the representations of concepts using technologies; pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach content.
(Click on the group heading to take you to all technologies for that group and click on the acknowledged ICT tool chosen for that group of technologies for an anylysis of that tool for use in my classroom as a future Learning Manager)
Wiki Activities
Group 4 technologies (simulations and animations)- (Please scroll down to the bottom of the post)
Online concept mapping- (Please scroll down to the bottom of the post)
Learning and using Information Communication Technologies (ICT’s) throughout this course has been an adventure. Learning and interacting with a wide variety of tools has not only been very useful for use in other courses but will be very useful to use in my classroom as a future Learning Manager. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone to make, create and engage with new technology tools that I did not even know existed. After exploring these technologies I feel capable that I can plan learning experiences with technology because I clearly understand the available tools, their affordances and their usefulness in the learning context. Not only will I use ICT’s as effective teaching tools, students will be able to interact and use the tools to present and explore the tools. I will be able to use effective pedagogy skills and scaffolding to encourage my learners to use higher order thinking when engaging in ICT’s.
So the big question is, how can Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) be utilized to both engage students and better prepare them to face the challenges they will meet in the real-world?
The use of ICTs provides students with greater opportunities for communication, collaboration, thinking and creativity.
“Students need opportunities to engage in rich task that enable them to simultaneously develop a broad range of skills, knowledge, and understandings about their world. Being literate in multiliteracies sense, means that students will draw on a range of knowledge and contexts from many disciplines, as well as on multiple modes of communication” (O’Rourke, 2002).
The use of ICTs changes both teaching and learning, which ensures that learning is meaningful for students, connected to their interests and understanding about the world, and caters to a range of learning styles and levels of intelligence. O’Rourke (2002) quotes, “if we are to extract maximum benefits from ICTs, both in terms of engagement and learning, a futures oriented approach that prepares students to ‘read’ the world and communicated through multiple modes of communication is necessary preparation for functioning in an increasingly technologylised society.”
Ours students’ worlds are increasingly being shaped by their abilities to acquire, communicate and access ICT and respond to creatively emerging technologies. “The productive engagement by teachers and schools with ICT is becoming part of everyday practices of all schools” (MCEETYA, 2005). The effective of integrating ICT pedagogies in the classroom depends on high levels of interactivity amongst the students and Learning Manager and between the students and the technologies they use.
Through my involvement and engagement with the variety of tools I have come to realize that ICTs are a great tool for learning, as it enables students to communicate, share and work collaboratively in local and global environments, understand the legal, ethical, health and safety implications of using ICT and their responsibilities as users and develop new thinking and learning skills to support learning.
My participation and engagement in the constructivist mobile phone and learning theory wikis were scaffolded which resulted in collaborative learning throughout our e-learning class.
The knowledge gained through this activity has been beneficial for a number of assessment tasks as well as gaining knowledge of different scaffold models. Knowledge was gained and shared from multiple perspectives (Merrill, 1991) and provided a framework for thinking using Dr Edward de Bonos six thinking hats. Social learning or learning as part of a group is an important way to help students gain experience in collaboration and develop important skills in critical thinking, self-reflection, and co-construction of knowledge (Brindley, Walti & Blaschke, 2009).
Scaffolding in any learning environment is important, including learning with ICTs. Scaffolding thinking through strategies such as a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, PMI (plus, minus, intersting), or a SCAMPER model, support learning by drawing out students' ideas through higher-order thinking. There are many benefits of online, scaffolded, collaborative learning as revealed in the Learning Theories wiki and the mobile wiki. Both these scaffolded learning environments supported a complex reasoning process through not only local university campuses but all CQU campuses by collaboratively working together.
As a future Learning Manager, I will be able to support collaborative use of these scaffolds when working online so that learners negotiate their own understanding through social interaction with each other. Quality learning environments include opportunities for students to engage in interactive and collaborative activities with their peers. Brindley, Walti & Blaschke (2009) suggest such environments have been shown to contribute to better learning outcomes, including development of higher order thinking skills. Specific pedagogical benefits of collaborative learning include development of critical thinking skills, co-creation of knowledge and meaning, reflection and transformative learning (Palloff & Pratt, 2005). Different learning styles and cultures can be accommodated more easily because effective collaborative learning values diversity (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).
It is clear that digital technology tools have enormous power to engage and challenge learners in the classroom; however, both Learning Managers and students need to model and be aware of the legal, safe and ethical behaviour in the use of ICT’s. Risks that come with the use of ICT’s need to be addressed and strategies put in place so that learning can be managed in a safe and supportive environment. It is important that teachers and students understand the importance of the legal, safe and ethical practices with regards to researching and using information gathered from the Internet. Web Aware (2010), offers information on sexual risk and harm, cyber bullying, privacy, pornography, violent and hateful content, gaming, excessive Internet use and marketing aimed at kids (Web Aware 2010).
Students need to know the importance of knowing not to provide personal information unless supervised by a parent or guardian, referencing correctly and paying attribution (referencing) to where students retrieved the information from and understanding the risks and what it means to behave ethically while online. Modeling this behavior is the first point of call for any Learning Manager, however carefully monitoring student behavior online and providing guidance will avoid any issues and help students understand how to deal with the issues when raised.
Before students engage in any e-learning activities, these issues need to be made clear to students. At all times we, as future Learning Managers should model ethical and legal guidelines to our students and encourage them to do the same, we need to be aware of the issues but not concerned. The prospects of ICT’s in student learning far outweigh the issues. The issues can be informed and dealt with through explicit scaffolding and appropriate information.
Reflecting on this E-Learning course, I look at it as a transformation. I had a fear of failure at the beginning, I had no idea what a blog or wiki was, I was no technology genius. Now I am going to use it in my classroom as a learning tool for my students, along with many other new technologies I have explored over the past six weeks. Just as the transformative learning theory states, transformations occur because of a disorienting dilemmas to make cognitive adjustments to reframing one's world (Cranton, P. n.d).
Applying and using ICT’s in the classroom is an effective engaging tool (Prensky, 2001), it provides opportunity for collaborative learning, higher-order thinking and development of real-world skills and knowledge. Throughout this collaborative learning journey of Managing E-learning, I can now successful say and appreciate the positive impact ICT tools have on student engagement and learning. From experimenting, engaging and extending my knowledge in a variety of new technology tools, I believe, as a future Learning Manager, I will be able to use these tools to enhance, support, and transform student learning in my classroom.
Reference
Bacer, K. (2009). Utilizing auditory and visual tools to engage the 21st century elearner. Retrieved from http://www.caudit.edu.au/educauseaustralasia09/assets/papers/tuesday/Kathleen-Bacer.pdf
Brindley, J. E., Walti, C. & Blaschke, L. M. (2009). The international review of research in open and distance learning. Journal of creating effective collaborative learning groups in an online environment. 10, 3. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/675/1271
Cranton, P. (n.d). Transformative Learning Theory. Retrieved from http://transformativelearningtheory.com/index.html
MCEETYA. (2005). Pedagogy strategy: learning in an online world. Retreived from http://www.curriculum.edu.au/verve/_resources/ICT_LearningOnlineWorld-PedagogyStrategy.pdf
Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional Design & Learning Theory. Retreieved from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#The%20Basics%20of%20Behaviorism
Mishra, P. & Koehler, J. (2006). Teachers college record. Journal of Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. 108, 1017- 1054. Retrieved from http://site.aace.org/pubs/sigs/sig-Mishra-Koehler-TCR.pdf
O’Rourke, M. (2002). Engaging students through ICTs: a multiliteracies approach. Retreived from http://www.techknowlogia.org/TKL_Articles/PDF/399.pdf
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online: Learning together in community. Retrieved from http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Jfn6dTxxVkcC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Palloff,+R.+M.,+%26+Pratt,+K.+(2005).+Collaborating+online:+Learning+together+in+community.&ots=wWPReYXIjb&sig=FmihuQCyCoc9PqTkfEmytbtgm0o#v=onepage&q&f=false
Prensky, M (2001). On the Horizon. Journal of Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. (NCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5
Web Aware, 2010. Media awareness network. Retrieved from http://www.bewebaware.ca/english/default.html
