eLearning09

Watch this video, I was inspired seeing the discussion of how the use of smart boards (promethean boards) can be used to encourage children with all different learning styles to WANT to learn.

Enjoy.

Listen to my response after reading Education technology for teaching and learning.

Reference: Newby, T., Stephich, D., & Russell, J. (2006). Education technology for teaching and learning. Pearson Education: United States of America. podcast blog

I loved watching this video posted by My Feeds. It gave me good ideas to use in the classroom and inspired me to impliment skills learnt in elearning.

Charlotte

“Meaningful learning with technology” Jonassen, D. 

Feeds summarises an article by Jonassen (2008), discussing how they came to a better understanding of how important learning in technology is. Feeds outlines that there were a few points in the article that were very relevant and thought provoking. Jonassen (2008) states that tasks at schools that require intentional, active, constructive, cooperative, and authentic learning processes will result in more meaningful learning. There are five main attributes of meaningul learning; Active, Constructive, Intentional, Authentic, and Cooperative. Jonassen (2008) also makes an important point that technology should become the tool of meaningful learning; “technologies afford students the opportunties to engage in meaningful learning when they learn with the technology, not from it”.

I strongly agree with Feeds in their support of Jonassen and his beliefs that technol0gy plays an important part of meaningful in the classroom. I also saw on practicum the way in which children engage with technology in a way in which they seek to learn and desire to take risks to find out more about programs and IT devices.

Article: Jonassen, D., et al. 2008, Pearson Education. Meaningful Learning with Technology (3rd edn) .Upper Saddle River: New Jersey, pp. 1-12 https://postoffice.uts.edu.au/attach/Jonassen%20Article%202008.pdf

Constructivism and Constructionism

Ecreative outlined the following defenitions of constructivism ad contructionism which I found extremely helpful.

Constructivism:

Constructivist theory holds that learners actively construct knowledge in response to experiences (Roblyer & Doering, 2010; Jonassen, 2008), that ‘instruction should stress collaborative activities and real-world connections’ (Roblyer & Doering, 2010 p. 42) and that ‘instruction must allow for different ways of learning’ (Roblyer & Doering, 2010 p. 42). In other words, knowledge can not be simply transfered from one person to another; the learner constructs knowledge based on their experiences and shaped by their own attitudes, beliefs and values.

Constructionism:

‘Constructionism suggests that new ideas are most likely to be created when learners are actively engaged in building some type of external artifact that they can reflect upon and share with others.’ (Han & Bhattacharya 2007). Papert, who coined the name constructionism, argues against the popularly held belief that abstract thinking and ‘higher-order thinking’ are superior to concrete thinking. Papert revalues ’the concrete, the local, and the personal’ (Ackermann, 2001). He argues that being a bricoleur is a superior way of learning (Papert, 1993). A bricoleur method of solving problems involves trying, testing and playing around with the problem, and is distinct from the traditional ‘analytical’ method of problem-solving.  Finally, Turvey claims that ‘learning is constructed through active participation as children engage in the learning process to act out solutions to problems faced’ (2006, p. 311).

References:

Ackermann, E. (2001), Piaget’s Constructivism, Papert’s Constructionism: What’s the difference? Retrieved 3rd Nov, 2009 from: http://learning.media.mit.edu/content/publications/EA.Piaget%20_%20Papert.pdf

Turvey, K. (2006). Towards deeper learning through creativity within online communities in primary education. Computers and Education. 46(3), 309-321.

Han, S. & Bhattacharya, K. (2007). Constructionism, Learning by Design and Project-based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed) Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Retrieved 3^rd Nov 2009 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Constructionism%2C_Learning_by_Design%2C_and_Project_Based_Learning

Jonassen, D. (2008). Meaningful learning with technology, (3^rd edn.) New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Papert, S. (1993). The children’s machine; Rethinking school in the age of the computer. New York: BasicBooks.

Roblyer, M. & Doering, A. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (5^th edn.) Boston: Allyn and Bacon

Using mobile phones in the classroom 

G.C  discusses the notion of m-learning, which refers to mobile learning. Rather than using mobile phones as such in the classroom, the idea is that students use PDAs (personal digital assistants). Using PDAs is a way for students to cheaply, easily and quickly access technology resources. 

G.C discusses that different schools have been using this equipment in vastly different ways, noting that students in a school in Chicago use PDAs to track their nutritional intake and how much physical activity they have done in the day. While students in science classes use special probes connected to the handhelds to measure the amount of dissolved oxygen in a pond. English students record their journal entries on their devices. Foreign language students no longer have to lug around heavy dictionaries because they can install them on their handheld devices.

While in another school, students use PDAs for measuring academic achievement and for  personal organisation. Students can then measure their achievement at the beginning of a unit of work, then observe their level of progress of the end of the unit.

I was amazed when reading this at the range of ways in which mobile phones can be used in the classroom in a relevant, student centred and engaging manner. I agree with G.C that using m-technology is especially useful for Stage 3 students who will be able to really utilise the possibilities available to them.

Handhelds in the classroom.
Brown, M. D. (2001). Handhelds in the classroom. Retrieved 25 Feb, 2008, from http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech083.shtml

Talking Technology (Laptops in NSW Schools)

The Monocle Chronical discusses that in 2009 year 9 students have been provided with laptops as tools to help them with studies. This has been highly publicised in the news with a range of different responses.

The Monocle Chronical outlines that a debate was being held recently by a year 5 class at a school in the Hurstville area in NSW that the author was able to witness. The debate was primary students should have the same access to these laptops? with the affirmative team members arguing about the improvement in writing skills, the ability to self mark and have neater writing. The Negative points were about battery power and expense.

The Monacle Chronical holds the personal belief that all students should have a computer on there desk but not one to take home. I agree to an extent, however I believe that technology use in the primary school is more about succesful implimentation and lesson design, while access to computers plays a large role in this, it is essential that studnets are learning what is relevant rather than being bombarded with new technology.

Charlotte

“Studnets are conducting original research on the weather, for instance, using some of the same tools as professional scientists, then sharing their data and results with others all over the globe. Astronauts on the space shuttle and explorers nin the jungles of peru have invloved students in their excitement of their discoveries as they happen…Instead of asking, “Should schools have computers?” we need to focus on a more productive question: “How are technologies best used in education to help students achieve and prepare for the world outside of school?”  J.Hawkins, in The World at Your Fingertips (1997).

According to Roblyer & Doering (2006), directional technology intergration should occur when:

- Skills and concepts to be learned are clearly defined, concrete unambigous, and a specific behavioral response can indicate learning.

- Students need individual tutoring/practice to learn and demonstrate prerequisite skills.

- Studnets need to aquire skills as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Roblyer, M. & Doering, A (2006). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (5th ed). Pearson Education Inc, Boston.

Dakich (2005) discusses the dimensions which contribute to successful use of technology in the primary school, with particular reference to how the classroom teacher’s ICT literacy. Dakich (2005) outlines the 4 dimensions of teacher’s ICT literacy; optional understanding and application of ICT, ICT rich pedagogies and learning environments, ICT for professional learning and engagement, and the social ecology of living and learning with ICT.

 Optional Understanding and application of ICT – this includes having up to date understanding of ICT used in schools, workplace home and community. Additionally, teachers should be able to use skill and judgement to select and apply appropriate software and programs in the classroom (Dakich, 2005).

 ICT rich pedagogies and learning environments – teachers should place emphasis on innovated and integrated approaches to learning and teaching with ICT. The role of the teacher is to design facilitate, and scaffold student inquiry by making informed choices about learning with ICT. (Dakich, 2005).

 ICT for professional learning and engagement – Dakich (2005) encourages the need for teachers to share and discuss successful uses of ICT in order to facilitate continuous learning and allow connectedness between the local and global community.

 Social ecology of living and learning with ICT – Teachers should be familiar with the role of technology in youth culture and recreational uses of technology. An awareness of how the parents and other stakeholders of the school use technology should also be developed. (Dakich, 2005).   

Dakich, E (2005). Teacher’s ICT Literacy in the contemporary primary classroom: Transposing the Discourse. Retrieved online September 14^th from: www.aare.edu.au/05pap/dak05775.pdf

This article explains that at one time it was possible to train young people to perform task that they could then apply throughout a lifetime. The example is given that the apprentice blacksmith would learn and use the same techniques used by his father which he could then pass down to his son. Today, however, the pace of technological change is so great that a set of skills learn today could be obsolete in a matter of years. Therefore, it is suggested that to be successful, young people need to be taught to teach themselves, to find for themselves the resources needed for learning new skills to keep pace with their changing environments.

 This article outlines that teaching children to work independently using computers will aid in changing the mentality that the skills leant in school aren’t relevant to the rest of life. Computers allow students to learn about specific topics, for example a unit on rainforests, while at the same time teaching students how to learn, how to direct their own learning and how to proceed at their own pace.   

 How can we as teachers use computers to encourage students to adapt to change throughout their life? The students we teach will undergo much change in how technology is used, how can we best prepare them for this?

Technology in the classroom: uses, abuses, and political realities. Retrieved online September 1^st, from: http://www.emcp.com/intro_pc/reading1.html