The Reflective Sypnosis : Assessment 2

This course, ICTs for learning design, would not have existed even 5 years ago.  Every year, there is a large leap in how technology is advancing - our students, the Digital Natives (click to read more) do not seem to have problems keeping up with it.

However, teachers, who were not born into the era of smart phones and computers, actually have to learn how to use technology to make learning an interesting and valuable experience for the students.  E-Learning has transformed learning - iPads and computers are now a part of learning and teaching and we are slowly moving away with the traditional chalkboard in schools.  As everyone has different learning styles, a teacher should strive to meet as many needs of the students as he or she can.  With TPACK, we are then able to attempt to reach out to as many students as possible, making e-learning a more successful and pleasant experience for both the teacher and learner.  In this course, I had the opportunity to learn different ways to embrace technology to enhance learning.  Wikis, blogs and websites, embedding images, sounds and videos, using applications like Glogster and Prezi and other tools like GoogleMaps.  It certainly was an interesting learning journey, and I am quite sure students will enjoy learning and presenting using technology too.  In this post, I will talk about a wiki activity I participated in, and 4 tools that we can use to enhance e-learning.  Blogs, images (flickr), Glogster and Google Maps.


After participating in a couple of online tests to determine my best learning styles, I discovered that I am a kinaesthetic learner as shown by the Birmingham Grid for Learning.  Based on the Felder and Soloman test, I was found to have an active, intuitive and visual learning style (see results here).  Therefore, participating in the Wiki activity was a great way for me to learn how it was an excellent tool for e-learning.  I felt that the activity engaged us using the learning theories of mainly constructivism and connectivism, but also using the theories of cognitivsim and behaviorism.  From a comment on my blog entry after participating in the Wiki activity, I realised that a fellow student, Michael, shared my point of view, but others like Emma, felt that it was simply reflective of constructivsm and connectivism theories.

In order to evaluate the wiki activity and the use of a wiki in e-learning, I will use a SWOT analysis.  It would help me identify the

• S-trengths: characteristics of the project that gives it advantage over others
• W-eakness: characteristics that places it at a disadvantage relative to others
• O-pportunities: elements that the project could exploit to its advantage
• T-hreats: elements in the environemtn that could cause trouble for the project

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis)

Emma reflected on the use of wikis using a SWOT analysis on her blog and based on her ideas (this links to Emma's SWOT), I developed my SWOT analysis from there.

SWOT ANALYSIS OF A WIKI ACTIVITY

Discussion using the scaffold of DeBono's Six Thinking Hats

	HELPFUL (for your objective)	HARMFUL (for your objective)
INTERNAL (within organisation)	STRENGTHS ·         Student/ user ownership ·         Low cost ·         Quick and easy to use ·         Accessible from anywhere with internet connection and a computer/smart phone ·         Can track the development of the wiki page through the history feed	WEAKNESS ·         Impersonal ·         Content can be edited or deleted ·         Potential for non-reputable sources ·         Data can be repeated and not prioritised ·         Those who dislike using technology will be left out ·         Only accessible if one has access to computers and the internet ·         Lists can be less critical and informal
EXTERNAL (outside organisation)	OPPORTNITIES ·         Allows for evolution of ideas ·         Content is variable ·         A great discussion tool ·         Many contributors ·         Builds literacy ·         Allows for creativity ·         Interaction with other from across the globe	THREATS ·         It can raise issues of copyright or plagiarism ·         It is open to online vandalism or abuse

The SWOT analysis is one way of scaffolding our thinking.  In the Wiki activity, DeBono's six thinking hats allowed us to use six different ways to think about the issue of mobile phones in education.  It allowed for a thinking process which was well balanced and it was a gathering of different perspectives.

My blog entry will tell you more about my reflections after participating in the activity.  Following that, I created my own wiki and you can read more about it here.  (It also links to my own personal wiki page.)

The limitations to the applications that we can use to help us teach effectively with technology are endless.  Blogger  is an awesome online application which helps the user create blogs without much knowledge of HTML.  Composing and formatting an online entry is made so simple, and as long as one is familiar with basic word processing.  Pictures, links, videos can be added with the click of a button, and once published, a blog entry is there for the world to have access to.  Today, we can even Blog from our mobile phones.  I experimented with this by downloading the free application onto my iPhone.

When students have been exposed to blogging from a young age, they would have had experienced writing for a greater audience; rather than just their teacher.  That in itself is a skill and attitude that should be valued.  When they go beyond the school's walls, it promotes even greater reflective analysis (just like what I am doing here with my blog), .  A blog helps to put together bookmarks, rants and raves, news and events, links to other blogs and websites, comments from others; it is a conglomeration of ideas and thoughts, a meeting point of knowledge and skills.  Blogs in education can be used to post class assignments, readings and exercises - so much easier than a complex web page as a blog only has a 'Title' and 'Content' box.  Blogs are also non-threatening as it allows the timid student a louder voice and promotes equity.  Students can use blog writings as part of their assignment and as part of the course grade.
(Source: http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/educational-blogging)

Blogs in education support the nature of ICTs where e-learning supports student learning.  It allows for collaboration - a students reads another students blog, and then comments on it, puts related content in his own blog, and the cycle continues.  It is a fine example of the theory of constructivism which is founded on social interactions in the learning community.  Of course, the threats of plagiarism and copyright is a major issue when it comes to the world wide web, but with the ethical ways we can acknowledge our sources, this problem can be easily avoided.  In an earlier blog entry, I debated on how to place a graphic in.

I could put up summaries of each lesson onto my blog, giving the students room to comment on each post.  Many interesting debates, discussions and ideas could then develop.  Then, I would encourage the students to create their own blog, and post after each lesson / topic.  This helps them move up the scale of Bloom's Taxonomy.  They not only learn to remember, understand, then apply, which is lower order thinking, but allows them to move up to higher order thinking by analysing, evaluating and then creating.

Another amazing tool we could use to enhance e-learning is that of

(http://www.teacherfiles.com/free_word_art.htm)

The 21st century literacy is multimodal.  When we add the visual component to the old language and literacy, there is a greater effect on communication as the cultural values are homogenized and it transcends language barriers.  By adding images, we add another layer of meaning.  The media allows for an evoking of emotional responses and transforms the way we learn.  It becomes more pleasurable, as we are able to connect the students to the world outside school.  

(Source: http://www.nmc.org/pdf/Global_Imperative.pdf)

Multimedia, if applied properly, has positive effects on memory retrieval.  Research has shown that memory retention increases with the use of both words and pictures. The learning principle of spatial contiguity tells us that we learn better when words and pictures are near each other and we gain temporal contiguity with words and pictures are placed together.  (Source: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2008/03/26/analysis-how-multimedia-can-improve-learning/)

Using images, can apply the "see think wonder routine" with students.  As the students start wondering, they come up with ideas.  Again, Bloom's Taxonomy shows how that could lead to higher order thinking.  From an image, it allows them to remember, understand and apply, and then with analysis and evaluation, they could then create their own image, text or multimedia presentation to display their visual literacy.  

"This routine encourages students to make careful observations and thoughtful interpretations. It helps stimulate curiosity and sets the stage for inquiry." 

Source: http://www.old-pz.gse.harvard.edu/vt/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03c_Core_routines/SeeThinkWonder/SeeThinkWonder_Routine.html

Photographs are a great teaching tool.  On one of my blog entries, Exploring Italy, I explored the option of working with Flickr.  

Many of us teachers would have spent some time travelling overseas.  Like they say, a picture speaks a thousand words.  By uploading my personal pictures onto Flickr, I am demonstrating legal, safe and ethical practices.  What is more original that one's own work of art, simple photography.  They not only will allow me to talk about History, Geography, Science and the Arts, but will show the students a snippet of Italy through the lens of my digital camera.  With these images, I also made a very quick and easy Video, using Windows MovieMaker, and then uploaded it onto YouTube.  The possibilities for learning, and to enhance learning, are endless!

Digital cameras help us to remember.  When on field trips, students will be able to use a digital camera to take photos, and later apply, analyse, evaluate and manipulate these photos to create their own presentation.   

Images are everywhere.  From loud, bold WordArt, to using Wordle to create a pictoral summary of a text, (look at my Wiki page for some examples of how I used Wordle) to photographs and illustrations, images especially support the visual learner and during our Collaborate tutorial in Week 4, Wendy quoted Alphonse Bertillon, "One can only see what one observes, and one observes only things which are already in the mind."  

To take e-learning one step further, we move on to creating complex websites with the images we have created and put together.    Glogster is a fine example of this.  On it's website, it claims to be able to "Engage your students, inspire curiosity, excite learners" and it is also able to be shown anywhere.  Danielle reflects on how Glogster can be used for learning using DeBono's Six Thinking Hats, and I will attempt to summarise it add my own opinions below.  I uploaded my DeBono's illustration that I did earlier onto Microsoft Word and added in the text boxes in the corresponding colours.  

Click on the image for a clearer view of the text! 

As an example, I have created a Glogster page, which would be relavent to my EPL that I would be undertaking this term.  I am focusing on the Year 7 group, who are going to be doing Ancient Egypt for their History lessons.




In the Glogster I created, one of the tools I used to create an image was Google Maps.  That one was simply a picture showing where Egypt was located in relation to it's nearby counties.  In the map below, I took it one step further by making it interactive and adding pins.  The 3 different coloured pins show Luxor, modern as well as Ancient Giza.  I managed to input images from Wikipedia (remembering to site and make reference to the origin of the images) and when one clicks on each different push pin, a pop up screen will show more.  The user is also able to zoom in and out, pan the map, and view it in map, satellite  terrain or earth (where the user would have to download a plug-in) view.



View Egypt in a larger map


Another map I created for another engagement activity is shown below.  I used the application in Google Maps to draw a 'blue line' to trace my travels across Italy.  Here, I also used the pins to point to the different places, which corresponded to the photographs had put up on Flickr.


View italy in a larger map

PMI of using Google Maps

PLUS	MINUS	INTERSTING
Children love maps. It is free. Shows the geography of the earth. Links to descriptions of places. Links to photographs. Provide opportunity of plotting routes. Gives distances and timings by car, bus, and by foot.	Privacy of home addresses might be exploited. Can be rather confusing to younger children.	Can save the map in ‘My Maps’. Can be used to work collaboratively with others. Explore different parts of the world in map, satellite,  terrain and earth view.

(Source: http://mrwrights.blogspot.com.au/2011/04/other-digital-tools-use-in-education.html?showComment=1365656175804#c1355856351018670220)

 I could see myself using Google Maps to teach Art - I could show pictures from different countries, landmarks, buildings, sculptures and paintings; History, as shown above, as well as Geography, where students can locate rivers, seas, mountains and valleys.  

All the above mentioned tools, blogs, images, Glogster and Google Maps are wonderful teaching tools and will definitely create interest when used in the classroom.  Teaching with technology requires for the perspective of the classroom to become learner centred and for the teacher and students to enter into a collaboration or partnership with technology in order to create a "community" that nurtures, encourages, and supports the learning process.

(Hooper, S., & Rieber, L. P. (1995). Teaching with technology. In A. C. Ornstein (Ed.), Teaching: Theory into practice, (pp. 154-170). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.)

I will end with the graphic which shows how the scaffold of Bloom's Taxonomy enables one to use technology to enhance learning.

Source: http://www.mtlsd.org/mellon/teams/ironbrigade/bloomsdigitaltaxonomy.asp

I used Flickr to help remember, bubble.us, slideshare and  wordle to understand.  I applied my knowledge using Google Maps and with scaffolding tools like DeBono's Six Thinking Hats, SWOT analysis and PMIs, I analysed and evaluated.  Finally, to create and share - I used YouTube, Glogster, Wikispaces, Prezi, Blogger - what wonderful tools of the 21st century.