Dane's Blog

ICT integration opens up amazing new possibilities for both teachers and student’s, yet its use in the classroom appears to be low. As Becker (2000, p. 30) points out, ICT for teachers adds another dimension to their teaching, and furthermore, enables student’s to be more engaged and take greater tenure over their learning (DotNetNuke Corporation, 2010). Nevertheless, as documented in Ertmer’s (2005, p. 25) reading, teachers varying pedagogical beliefs are providing an unwanted barrier to complete ICT integration in the classroom. Furthermore, as mentioned in Brown’s (2005, p. 16) reading, ICT should not be integrated anyway, as its use is more detrimental rather than beneficial.   

According to Ertmer (2005, p. 26) most teachers are using ICT in the classroom, however, they are using it for low-level tasks (largely involving teacher-oriented activities), rather than high-level tasks (largely involving student-oriented activities). As Marcinkiewicz (1993, p. 234) rightly points out, complete incorporation of ICT into the classroom will not occur unless teachers resolve their underlying issues with its use. Upon reading this article, it was quite clear that many teachers adopt negative beliefs, particularly due to prior, possibly disastrous experiences with ICT. As Ertmer (2005, p. 30) justifiably notes, “early experiences tend to colour later experiences.” I completely agree with this point of view, and can somewhat relate to it, as I was never proficient in the use of ICT, and only found myself doing basic functions such as sending emails, and typing on Word, however, after courses like ED4134, and ED1113, I have more confidence and have since expanded my knowledge to programs such as ActivInspire, PowerPoint and Inspiration. I believe that there is an important lesson for all educators to take note of here, and that is to increase your own, and colleagues proficiency in the use of ICT, it is advantageous to plan a variety of workshops specifically addressing this, so that all teachers will be able to implement ICT in the classroom, in meaningful and beneficial ways for their student’s.

Ertmer’s reading also explores the efficient ways in which teachers negative pedagogical beliefs towards ICT can be rectified. She outlines 3 specific categories for change: personal experiences, vicarious experiences and social-cultural influences (2005, p. 32). According to Ertmer (2005, p. 32) just as negative beliefs towards ICT may have been built through specific experiences, positive beliefs can be built in the same fashion. Furthermore, Schunk (2000) notes that by observing others effectively using ICT, it provides a powerful motivational tool to want to effectively use it (vicarious reinforcement), and as Becker and Riel (1999) advise, by fostering a positive school environment on the benefits of ICT use, all teachers will be continually supported and influenced to implement ICT into their classroom. Upon reflection, I saw this as a central theme of this reading, carrying extreme relevance and importance for all educators. As documented above, I believe that all educators should have frequent and regular exposure to ICT workshops which teach them how to implement such resources effectively in the classroom, and by adopting this or a similar approach, all 3 categories identified by Ertmer, will be addressed, and at the same time provide all educators with the skills and confidence to implement ICT successfully in their classroom.

Brown’s reading takes a highly critical approach to the integration of ICT in the classroom. According to Brown (2005, p. 16) the use of ICT is highly problematic and detrimental for the field of Education. Rosen (1998, p. 37) furthers this by arguing that ICT leaves numerous problems after its use. Oppenheimer (1997, p. 45) provides an extremely narrow minded approach, by pointing out that there is no substantial evidence proving that ICT benefits teachers and student’s. I completely disagree with the approaches of Brown and Oppenheimer, as throughout this Blog a plethora of evidence has been cited, including the works of: R J Tolley, McKenzie, Dodge, March, Campbell and Cameron, who all adhere to the fact that ICT offers a revolutionary approach to the way teachers teach, and the way student’s learn. I acknowledge and to an extent understand the purpose behind Brown’s reading, of advocating a cautious approach to the integration of ICT, however, I feel that his views lack strong empirical evidence, and are largely cloaked in somewhat meaningless analogies. With such a promising resource at the ready, and an overabundance of evidence promoting its implementation, ICT for me, in contrast to the views of Brown, is a highly beneficial tool for student’s to further their learning and thus, will be a crucial component of my teaching pedagogy.

In summary, the integration of ICT in the classroom represents a ground-breaking and innovative approach to the way teachers teach and the way student’s learn. In spite of this, as documented by Ertmer (2005, p. 25) the prevalence of meaningful ICT learning engagements in the classroom appears to be dramatically low. A large reason for this appears to be due to teacher’s existing pedagogical beliefs about ICT, which as Ertmer (2005, p. 32) suggests can be rectified by placing special emphasis on 3 categories: personal experiences, vicarious experiences and social-cultural influences. Brown’s reading provides a highly critical look at the integration of ICT in the classroom, and as documented, I disagree with his views, as I believe ICT has an extremely important and relevant role to play in the classroom. Upon reflecting on this week and the previous 5 weeks readings, I have developed a better understanding of important ICT resources such as the IWB, WebQuests and LAMS, and better understand critical ICT topics, such as the Digital natives debate, social constructivism and the pedagogical beliefs teachers have towards ICT. Despite the existing scepticism I have encountered along the way, I hope over the last 6 Blog entries to have provided some clear and well supported points for students, pre-service teachers, current teachers, academics and parents on the benefits of ICT integration in the classroom. From a personal point of view, I agree with Moon (2007), that “the benefits of technology are far-reaching,” and due to this, and all the previous evidence cited, ICT will play a prominent role in my teaching pedagogy.

Reference List:

Becker, H.J. (2000, July). Findings from the teaching, learning, and computing survey: Is Larry Cuban right? Paper presented at the 2000 School Technology Leadership Conference of the Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, D.C. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://www.crito.uci.edu/tlc/findings/ccsso.pdf

Becker, H.J., & Riel, M.M. (1999, September). Teacher professionalism and the emergence of constructivist-compatible pedagogies. Paper presented at the 1999 meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://www.crito.uci.edu/tlc/findings/special_report2/aerj-final.pdf

Brown, Dr.M. (2005). The growth of enterprise pedagogy: How ICT policy is infected by neo-liberalism. Australian Educational Computing, 20(2), 16-22.

DotNetNuke Corporation. (2010). Benefits of using ICT in education. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://pil.mscommunity.net/Default.aspx?tabid=1051

Ertmer, P.A. (2005). Teacher pedagogical beliefs: The final frontier in our quest for technology integration? Educational Technology Research & Development, 53(4), 25-39.

Marcinkiewicz, H.R. (1993). Computers and teachers: Factors influencing computer use in the classroom. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 26, 220-237.

Moon, S. (2007). ICT creating a greener footprint. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://m.zdnet.com.au/ict-creating-a-greener-footprint-339282526.htm

Oppenheimer, T. (1997). The computer delusion. The Atlantic Monthly, 280(1), 45-62.

Rosen, B. (1998). Winners and losers of the information revolution: Psychological change and its discontents.London: Praeger Publishers.

Schunk, D.H. (2000). Learning theories: An educational perspective. (3rd. ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Learning Designs are innovative and ground breaking resources teachers can use to enhance the lessons they teach. One such revolutionary resource is ‘Learning Activity Management System’ (LAMS), which provides teachers with a simple, yet effective environment for designing their lessons (LAMS International, 2009). As outlined in the readings of Campbell and Cameron (2009) and Cameron (n.d.), the benefits of LAMS outweigh the benefits of traditional lesson plans, and clearly provide all teachers with a more flexible and authentic approach to the design of their lessons.   

Campbell and Cameron provide strong views on the benefits of LAMS over traditional written lesson plans. They state that traditional lesson plans are time and effort consuming and simply provide “little more than documentation” (2009, p. 97). I tend to disagree with this approach, as I believe that written lesson plans have an important role to play in the day-to-day functioning of teachers, as they help ensure teachers are prepared, have covered all the bases, and can take a more flexible approach in their lesson (Campbell & Cameron, 2009, p. 97). My experiences whilst on Prac adheres to this view, as my supervising teacher (with over 10 years teaching experience) had daily lesson plans, albeit simple, of important concepts she wanted to make sure she addressed in her lessons. I tend to see more benefit in this approach, and is something, at least early on in my teaching career, I will be following.

Despite these views, LAMS is still a unique, beneficial and revolutionary tool that is worthy of consideration. As Campbell and Cameron point out (2009, p. 98) LAMS encourages teachers to put themselves into the shoes of their student’s by ‘previewing’ their lesson. As Cameron (n.d., p. 47) acknowledges, this approach has some worth to teachers, as it enables them to see what their student’s will see, and make any necessary changes. I believe that this tool has extreme relevance to all teachers, however, I feel that it is something teachers already do. With written lesson plans, there are always goals (outcomes) identified, and the lesson is built around trying to achieve them. Furthermore, when teachers review lessons they are able to gauge what did not work and then determine how this might be rectified in future lessons. The point made here is that when I plan my lessons I will do so with a picture in mind of how the lesson is supposed to pan out, and how the lessons activities will help the students achieve the desired outcomes.

Arguably the greatest tool of LAMS, for all teachers, is that it provides a visual representation of the lesson, enabling teachers to determine the learning styles they have specifically catered for (Campbell & Cameron, 2009, p. 99). As pointed out by Sasson (2007), the greatest and most important challenge for all teachers is catering for all the individual ways their students learn, so they will be constantly engaged within all lessons. According to Campbell and Cameron (2009, p. 100), by using LAMS teachers are able to review a clear, simple and instant image of their lesson to efficiently determine the learning styles they have catered for. Upon reflection on this point, its worth and benefits are quite apparent, as it is easy to miss a few learning styles when sifting through pages of lesson plan notes. Based on this I would consider implementing LAMS, at some point, into my teaching pedagogy, if it means that my student’s will get the most out of each and every lesson.

As pointed out in both readings, LAMS involves the use of a standardised template of activities that can be re-used. Cameron (n.d., p. 41) furthers this, stating that by re-using learning designs teachers will be able to save time, gain an understanding of good teaching practices (by looking at good lessons), and be further inspired to plan engaging and meaningful lessons. The approach Cameron takes with this point enables a future teacher like myself to further understand the benefit of LAMS and also to understand that there is a framework out there to support future teachers (Campbell & Cameron, 2009, p. 101). Although this is a highly useful benefit of LAMS, I still believe that this very notion can also be achieved through a written lesson plan. This ties in with another experience I had on Prac, in which my supervising teacher asked another of the Year 1 teachers for her Maths lesson plan on Counting, in which she recieved and implemented with great success. This experience for me highlights that, although LAMS may be more efficient, a normal written lesson plan can work just as effectively.

In summary, Learning Designs, particularly LAMS, is a recent and groundbreaking resource teachers can use to plan their lessons. As evident in the following sound file, LAMS can provide another dimension to a lesson, by encouraging students to build their own meaning from a topic explored. As the 2 readings highlight, LAMS makes the approach to lesson planning more simple, it allows teachers to ‘preview’ a lesson and determine how many learning styles they have catered for, and furthermore, it allows teachers to actively share and re-use lessons with their colleagues. I acknowledge the benefits of LAMS outlined in the 2 readings, and won’t rule out using this resource, however, from a practical point of view, at least at the beginning of my teaching career, I believe that traditional written lesson plans are a more suitable and effective approach, upon which my teaching pedagogy will be built upon.

Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

The sound file directly supports a variety of Gardner’s intelligences. Musical learners would directly benefit from this sound file, as they love all types of sound and may even learn better with this sound file played as background music in the classroom (Lane, n.d.). Linguistic learners are also catered for with this ICT. Although they learn better through words (with there no words on the attached sound file) they could still be encouraged to put into words their interpretation of this sound file.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

The sound file could easily be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment. By implementing sound into a lesson it adds another dimension to the lesson, and at the same time aims to keep all students motivated and engaged. Sound should be a resource that is incorporated into lessons on a regular basis, as it aids student’s in remembering information. As Post (n.d.) notes, by incorporating sound into a lesson, you not only keep the student’s engaged, but also motivate them to retain knowledge for a long time.

Building on from this, a sound file specifically addresses the learning needs of some student’s, which the other ICT multimedia elements might not. As documented, these student’s include Linguistic and Musical learners. Therefore, by incorporating sound, where possible into lessons, teachers will be able to increase these student’s learning, and critically, ensure that they are able to participate in the lesson.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

The sound file can effectively foster the development of creativity. As reflected in the attached file, different types of music allow student’s to draw different interpretations on its meaning. These interpretations, although may be different, are not wrong, as they were built from the student’s own creative thinking. As documented above, a sound file and LAMS go hand in hand, as they are both associated with creative thinking, and furthermore, allow student’s and teachers to take tenure over their work. 

Reference List:

Cameron, L. (n.d.). Planner tools – sharing and reusing good practice. Teaching English with Technology – Special Issue on LAMS and Learning Design, volume 1, 9(2), 40-49. Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://www.iatefl.org.pl/call/j_article4_35.pdf

Campbell, C., & Cameron, L. (2009). Using learning activity management systems (LAMS) with pre-service secondary teachers: An authentic task. Education Conference Papers. Paper 17. Retrieved March 30, 2010 from http://researchonline.nd.edu.au/edu_conference/17/

LAMS International. (2009). Welcome to LAMS. Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://www.lamsinternational.com/

Lane, C. (n.d.). Multiple intelligences. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://www.tecweb.org/styles/gardner.html

Post, K. (n.d.). Using sound in the classroom. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/5524

Sasson, D. (2007). Multiple learning styles: How to plan lesson plans and learning styles. Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://newteachersupport.suite101.com/article.cfm/student_learning_styles

Constructivism is one of the most significant developments in the field of Education. With a highly regarded perception of constructivist teachers, all teachers want to be perceived “as doing the right thing”  (Pirie & Kieren, 1992, p. 505). In spite of this, constructivism appears to be a concept lacking complete clarity amongst the majority of teachers, which raises serious questions about its successful implementation. As outlined in the reading of Brewer and Daane (2002, p. 418), there are four distinct processes associated with constructivism that all teachers, who want to be constructivist teachers, must adhere to.  

Kamii (1985) provides the most encompassing definition of constructivism, by pointing out that it refers to the process upon which children construct their own knowledge, through experiences within the learning environment. Brewer and Daane (2002, p. 417) point out that constructivism incorporates an emphasis on problem solving, reasoning and communicating. The article ‘What are the benefits of constructivism?’ provides a critical analysis on the specific benefits constructivist teaching can have on student’s. Amongst other things, it states that children have more enjoyment with learning, learn more, and have more tenure over what they learn (Educational Broadcasting Corporation, 2004). I saw glimpses of constructivist teaching whilst I was on Prac, with my supervising teacher conducting a lot of group work, and exhibiting a more facilitating, rather than dictating, approach to her lessons. After seeing how engaged the student’s were with the majority of the lessons, constructivism, once I further my knowledge of its essential components, is something I will definitely include in my teaching pedagogy.

According to Brewer and Daane (2002, p. 418), one key process of constructivism is that learning is an active and constructive process. They build on this view by stating that teachers need to provide students with numerous opportunities to actively engage with a lesson. This can take the form of small group work, class discussions, partner work etc. I completely agree with the importance of this process in building a constructivist classroom, as it has a lot of relevance to the underlying meaning of constructivism: students construct their own knowledge through different experiences (Kamii, 1985).

The second key process is the importance of building new knowledge on already existing prior knowledge (Brewer & Daane, 2002, p. 418). Upon reading this article, it was made quite apparent how regarded this process is. From conducting different studies in schools, Brewer and Daane discovered that this process was evident, and usually took the form of a class discussion. Battista (1999, p. 419) also notes that this process involves student’s comparing their existing views with the views of others, to arrive at a unanimous perception on a topic. I agree with the importance of this process, however, I am slightly perplexed with the underlying sense of urgency surrounding this process in the article. I was taught the importance of building on student’s prior knowledge in my very first lectures at University, and since assumed it to be common knowledge amongst all teachers, however, the important emphasis its been given in the article, doesn’t make me necessarily question the articles validity, but rather it helps remind me, as a future teacher, on the importance of remembering and doing the ‘simple things’ well.

Brewer and Daane also emphasise the important process of promoting autonomy. As Kamii (1994, p. 62) points out, autonomy refers to the ability of students to govern themselves, after considering numerous factors. This is arguably the most critical of the 4 processes, as it directly involves the student’s having to think for themselves, rather than being ‘spoon fed’ the answers by their teacher. As Brewer and Daane (2002, p. 420) rightly admit, autonomy is not a process that can be achieved quickly, as it requires a lot of constant encouragement. Upon reflecting on my Prac experience, I saw this process in action, and found it to be extremely rewarding to watch, as the student’s were mostly in control of their own learning, and successfully exhibited an understanding of different topics, without much teacher assistance. This process I will definitely look at implementing into the way I teach, so that my student’s are constantly provided with opportunities to think for themselves.

The final key process refers to the importance of social interaction in acquiring knowledge. As Brewer and Daane point out (2002, p. 418) this process is not only useful for students but also for teachers. Frequently communicating with colleagues, who are also trying to reach the same common goal, is essential in fostering a constructivist environment (Brewer & Daane, 2002, p. 420). Fostering a classroom environment conducive to relevant student interaction is a crucial tool for students to further their own understanding of a topic, as they can learn off each other, by sharing their ideas in a positive environment (Brewer & Daane, 2002, p. 420). I believe that this process may take a while to successfully implement, however, I feel that it has a crucial place in my classroom, in ensuring that the learning remains student oriented.

In summary, constructivism is a momentous development in Education. As Brewer and Daane point out, there are 4 essential processes associated with good constructivist teaching (as illustrated in the following learning object) which all aim to allow student’s to construct their own knowledge and understanding of a topic. Although this article provides a sound analysis on the 4 essential processes, it seems to lack a generic emphasis on the enjoyment student’s can gain from being in a constructivist classroom. Nevertheless, I found the approach to constructivism taken in this article to be highly informative and factual, and upon reflecting on the enormous benefit a constructivist classroom can have for student’s, it is an approach which my teaching pedagogy will be built upon.

Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

The online Game (Learning Object) specifically supports a variety of Gardner’s intelligences. The easy to read instructional text directly supports Linguistic learners, whereas the large, bright and visually appealing pictures cater for the Visual learners. Furthermore, as this Chance game is very hands-on and interactive, Kinesthetic learners are also supported by the implementation of this ICT.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

An online Game could efficiently be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment. This is because it can help foster a classroom environment conducive to meaningful and relevant social interactions. As Brewer and Daane point out (2002, p. 420), this constructivist approach, of encouraging the student’s to actively converse with one another, will provide them with another avenue in which to acquire knowledge.

Most online Games have different levels of difficulty, therefore, once the student’s have become proficient at one level, it would be advantageous to increase the difficulty of the game. This highlights the depth of online Games in promoting good cognitive thinking within the classroom. Furthermore, by increasing the difficulty of an online Game, it aims to hone the student’s knowledge and understanding of a given topic, so that they can become as proficient as possible.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

Online Games can effectively foster the development of creativity. The majority of games available will often present student’s with a series of choices, which encourages them to be creative and think ahead to what the eventual outcomes may be. Furthermore, this approach also enables student’s to constantly reflect on their choices, and consider whether they made the right choice or not.

Online Games can also provide a useful platform for creativity in future lessons. As some games are very narrow in approach and do not necessarily focus on creativity (evident in the Learning Object above) the usefulness of online Games may be questioned. In spite of this, by providing student’s with numerous opportunities to explore their creative side in future lessons, i.e. make their own Chance game (building off the Learning Object), this ICT can be very useful in enabling the development of creativity.

Reference List:

Battista, M.T. (1999). Fifth graders enumeration of cubes in 3d arrays: Conceptual progress in an inquiry-based classroom. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education, 30, 417-448.

Brewer, J., & Daane, C.J. (2002). Translating constructivist theory into practice in primary-grade mathematics. Education Vol, 123(2), 416-426.

Curriculum Corporation. (2009). Dice duels bike race. Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://econtent.thelearningfederation.edu.au/ec/viewing/L2637/index.html

Educational Broadcasting Corporation. (2004). What are the benefits of constructivism? Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/constructivism/index_sub6.html

Kamii, C. (1985). Can there be excellence in education without knowledge of child development? Chicago, IL: Chicago Association for the Education of Young Children. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. 254 333).

Kamii, C. (1994). Young children continue to reinvent arithmetic, 3rd grade. New York: Teachers College Press.

Pirie, S., & Kieren, T. (1992). Creating constructivist environments and constructing creative mathematics. Educational Studies in Mathematics, 23, 505-528.

ICT is arguably the most significant contributor to student’s cognitive thinking. Not only can it achieve the same purpose as regular lessons, but it can also allow student’s to better connect with and explore a topic. The WebQuest is a particularly useful ICT tool that can promote deep cognitive thinking. As outlined in the readings of Dodge (1997) and McKenzie (2000), successful implementation of WebQuests in the classroom will turn a lesson into something that is relevant, engaging and stimulating for the student’s.

Dodge (1997) defines a WebQuest as an investigation based activity, which involves the student’s exploring information found on the Internet or from other resources. He outlines two forms of WebQuests, short and longer term.  According to Dr Chris Campbell (2010) a short-term WebQuest should last between 1 – 3 lessons, whereas a longer-term Webquest should be finished between 1 week to 1 month. I’ve yet to see a WebQuest in action in the classroom, and have only had exposure to a short-term WebQuest through Item 2 of this unit, and from these experiences I will definitely implement WebQuests into my curriculum. This is because I found them to be extremely engaging, enjoyable, interactive, challenging and stimulating, which are all essential components of my teaching pedagogy.

According to Dodge (1997) WebQuests must contain an introduction, task page, information sources, process page, specific guidelines and a conclusion page. Although these are essential components of a WebQuest, I found Dodge’s approach to be slightly out-dated, as a number of modern conceptualisations are clearly absent, e.g. teachers page and a detailed assessment page. Based on the work I have undertaken in ED4134, and also after conducting additional research, my perception of a WebQuest tends to be aligned with the perceptions provided in the article ‘Building Blocks of a Webquest’ (n.d.). As evident in this article, WebQuests need to provide a broader picture, so student’s and teachers have an understanding of what is going on at all stages of the lesson. This, in contrast to Dodge’s approach, is the critical component that I, as a future teacher, will be looking for in the WebQuests I select for my student’s.

McKenzie’s reading looks at the importance of setting appropriate questions on the WebQuest. According to McKenzie (2000) “Students should spend their time researching important questions…which require original thought.” This notion of student’s undertaking activities which require them to think critically about a topic, rather than being posed basic ‘copy and paste’ questions is the central meaning behind McKenzie’s article. When comparing McKenzie’s approach to that of Dodge, it is quite apparent that Dodge lacks focus on this important idea. Instead of emphasising the types of questions that should be asked, Dodge simply states that they should take the form of “guiding questions” (1997). This again highlights the out-dated relevance of Dodge’s article to modern times. I tend to agree with McKenzie’s view on the importance of selecting WebQuests which require the student’s to think critically about a topic. Building on, I believe this notion has relevance across all the KLA’s and is something I plan to implement, so that my student’s are given every opportunity to expand their knowledge. 

Although both Dodge’s and McKenzie’s articles have their own specific focus, they both advocate the benefits of WebQuests for student’s. As McKenzie points out (2000) WebQuests make learning engaging and enjoyable for students. Furthermore, Dodge (1997) states that WebQuests enable students to explore and develop their different levels of thinking. March (2003) builds on both these views by pointing out that well constructed WebQuests aid in the development of metacognitive processes in students. I believe that the evidence cited here plus the following video clip provides a complete picture on the benefits of implementing WebQuests into my teaching pedagogy. 

In summary, ICT, particularly WebQuests, can successfully promote deep cognitive thinking in students. Although Dodge’s approach to WebQuests lacks complete relevance in today’s modern world, he does raise some interesting and unique points. McKenzie, on the other hand, applies a more critical emphasis on WebQuests, and how to gain the most out of them. Upon reflecting on both readings, and additional research undertaken, I believe that WebQuests have an important place in my classroom in providing my student’s with rich, engaging, stimulating and meaningful learning experiences.

Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

The Video Clip specifically supports 2 types of Gardner’s intelligences; Visual learners and Linguistic learners. This ICT contains a lot of large and easy to read text, with some visually appealing pictures, which is an effective way for Visual learners to understand the information provided. Furthermore, the emphasis on the text in the clip, is a highly effective way for Linguistic learners to understand the information provided.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

The Video Clip could easily be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment, as it directly addresses specific types of learners. As stated, Video Clips specifically cater for Visual and Linguistic learners, and by incorporating such clips into lessons it ensures that these student’s don’t miss out on the lesson. This ties in with the views of Dr. Ellen Fiedler (2002) who argues that to include all student’s in a lesson, educators need to “provide…alternative methods for students to document their learning.” The Video Clip is one such method, and by ensuring that all educators are aware of and cater for the different learning styles in their classroom, they will be able to foster a classroom environment conducive to deep cognitive thinking.

This ICT could also be used to introduce student’s to the topic of a lesson. This is a good and engaging way to introduce a topic, which also aims to get student’s to start thinking about it. This notion has relevance across all subjects in the curriculum, as no matter the topic, Video Clips allow student’s to engage with it, due to the stimulating nature of the clip.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

The Video Clip can effectively foster the development of creativity. Not only does it provide a useful platform for student’s to eventually make their own Video Clip on a chosen topic, but it also allows them, to more specifically, think about how they are going to make their WebQuest appealing. By showing a clip strongly advocating the educational benefits of WebQuests, it will help motivate the student’s to want to make their WebQuest the best and most creative they can.

Reference List:

Building blocks of a webquest. (n.d.). Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/buildingblocks/p-index.htm

Campbell, Dr. C. (2010). Information technology for teaching and learning: Week 3.Lecture notes distributed in the course ED4134 – Information Technology for Teaching and Learning, at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney on March 8, 2010.

Dodge, B. (1997). Some thoughts about webquests. Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://webquest.sdsu.edu/about_webquests.html

Fiedler, Dr. E. (2002). Education up close. Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://www.glencoe.com/ps/teachingtoday/educationupclose.phtml/7

March, T. (2003). The learning power of webquests. Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://tommarch.com/writings/wq_power.php

McKenzie, J. (2000). The question is the answer. Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://questioning.org/module/module1.html

Why use webquests?? (2006). Retrieved March 29, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuZ949Zi0TY

The ‘Digital Natives Debate’ is justifiably one of the most argued topics in Education. With a proposed ‘revolutionary change’ (Prensky, 2001) in Education, to cater for the large majority of student’s, this debate has been met with strong differing opinions from educators, theorists and student’s alike. Perhaps the two strongest arguments come from the readings of Prensky (2001) and Bennett, Maton and Kervin (2008), who outline with conviction their views on what needs to be done to address this issue in Education. 

Prensky (2001) defines a Digital Native as someone who was born into the digital world (1980 – 1994), and is proficient in the use of various digital technologies such as computers, mobile phones etc. In contrast, he defines a Digital Immigrant as someone born before the explosion of digital technology (prior to 1980), and who has since caught up with its efficient use and functionality (Prensky, 2001). Upon reflecting on where I stand, I discovered that I was a ‘Digital Native,’ as I have owned and used a computer for many years, have frequent access to the Internet, own a mobile phone and always found myself having to teach my Parent’s how to use these technologies efficiently. Similarly, I discovered on my Prac last year that numerous students I encountered were also ’Digital Natives.’ 

This experience on Prac, ties in with the underlying debate explored in both Prensky and Bennett’s et al. reading, which is, whether or not Education needs to change to accommodate for these ‘Digital Native’ students. According to Prensky (2001) ”Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” This strong assertion from Prensky is backed up by Dr Perry (2001) who points out that the way student’s think has forever changed. Furthermore, Blackall (2005) emphasises that ICT media can provide a rich context for learning, and thus needs to be implemented within an educational framework. The main problem that Prensky outlines is that today’s teachers (largely Digital Immigrants) are not equipped to teach today’s student’s, who understand things in a completely different way. This is an understandable assertion made by Prensky, however, from what I personally believe and from what I witnessed whilst on Prac, teachers who classify themselves as ‘Digital Immigrants’ still need to be willing to vary their delivery of lessons (ie. base a lesson around an IWB or computer), so that they are constantly catering for student’s of different learning styles.

Prensky (2001) states with little conviction that Digital Immigrant teachers don’t believe learning should be enjoyable. This statement I completely disagree with, as whilst I was on Prac, I witnessed teachers who willingly acknowledged they were not technologically proficient (ie. a Digital Immigrant), do everything they could to make their lessons enjoyable and engaging for their students. Cruey (2008) supports this view, as he states that teachers need to do what they can to cater for the way student’s now think. There is an important lesson for me as a future teacher to learn here, and that is to ensure that students are engaged, my teaching pedagogy needs to encompass a wide variety of different resources and technologies, i.e. computers, music, an IWB etc, so that I don’t fall into the trap of teaching like Prensky believes ‘Digital Immigrant’ educators do.

Although in Prensky’s reading strong claims are made for the need to change the way students are taught, Bennett’s et al. reading provides a more balanced approach to the debate. According to Bennett et al. (2008, p. 782) there is no defining evidence suggesting that ‘Digital Native’ students learn in a completely distinctive way to how previous students learnt. Furthermore, Bennett et al., by citing the works of Lorenzo and Dziuban (2008, p. 781) raises a unique point by stating that ‘Digital Native’ students’ constant exposure to technology i.e. the Internet, does not help to make them critical thinkers. The point made here is that Education still has a vital role to play in student’s learning.

Bennett et al. (2008, p. 782) acknowledges the debates provided by Prensky, by pointing out that many student’s today do learn through different multimedia resources, however, in contrast to Prensky’s assertion that “if Digital Immigrant educators…want to reach (their students)…they will have to change” (2001), Bennett et al. states that more critical research needs to be conducted before a dramatic change should occur. Although there is a plethora of other useful articles out there, i.e. ‘The “Digital Natives” Debate Continues…’ (Larkin, 2007) and ‘First year students’ experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives?’ (Kennedy, Judd, Churchward, Gray & Krause, 2008), I tend to agree with Bennett et al., that there is not enough existing clear and consise research evident to warrant a drastic change in Education.

In summary, the ‘Digital Natives Debate’ is arguably the most topical and important debate regarding the future of Education. Many academics, particularly Marc Prensky, argue that our current Educational system is not appropriate for today’s students (2001). On the other hand, others, particularly Bennett et al. (2008, p. 784) argue that we need to understand the situation before contemplating change. Upon reflecting on all the evidence, my teaching pedagogy encompasses the inclusion of different ICT media in the classroom. As specified in the article ‘Preparing Students for Elearning’ (elearnspace, 2002) student’s need to be taught how to gain the most out of online learning, and by following some of the points listed in the article I plan to ensure my student’s achieve this. Moreover, some other useful points are specified in the article ‘What Is Meaningful Learning?’ (Jonassen, Howland, Morra & Crismond, 2008), which states that by ensuring the ICT resources used allow students to explore, write, communicate and visualise, they will be able to gain the most out of learning. Therefore, the tacit message is clear: to cater for students of different learning styles, educators need to take a diverse and flexible approach to their teaching methodology and by doing so ‘Digital Native’ students will be catered for.

Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

The graphic organiser supports the majority of Gardner’s intelligences. It is useful for Visual learners, as it is large and can efficiently summarise the content of a lesson into a simple mind-map. Furthermore, it is useful for Bodily-kinesthetic learners, as it is a hands-on program, and also is a useful tool for Interpersonal learners, as different group activities can be built around this program.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

The graphic organiser could easily be implemented as a good cognitive tool as it can foster a classroom environment conducive to more critical thinking. As evident above in my demonstration of a graphic organiser, it can be used as a tool for classroom debate, with half the students supporting one side, e.g. ‘Digital Natives,’ and the other half supporting the other side; ‘Digital Immigrants.’ Such a debate requires student’s to think more critically, as they need to compare both sides, to come to a conclusion on the benefits of their side.

As well as fostering a more critical level of thinking, a graphic organiser can be instrumental for visual learners. In all levels of schooling, students are required to write extended responses, whether they are basic narratives, or HSC essays. For most student’s, ideas will easily come to mind on what to write, in contrast, although Visual learners may have ideas in mind, for maximum efficiency they need to be able to represent these ideas in a visual form. Therefore, to ensure this ICT is implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment, teachers need to allow their visual learning student’s access to this program, prior to writing, so that they can generate a clear and concise plan to follow.

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

The graphic organiser can efficiently foster the development of creativity. It allows student’s to display information in a visual form, but more specifically the Inspiration program allows them to experiment with text size, font, colours, backgrounds, pictures and many more functions to make their work more visually appealing.

Reference List:

Bennett, S., Maton, K., & Kervin, L. (2008). The “digital natives” debate: A critical review of the evidence. British Journal of Educational Technology, 39(5), 775-786.

Blackall, L. (2005). Digital literacy: How it affects teaching practices and networked learning futures – a proposal for action research. Retrieved March 28, 2010, from http://networkedlearning.wikispaces.com/digital+literacy+and+how+it+affects+teaching+and+learning+practices

Cruey, G. (2008). Digital natives and digital immigrants: Is technology creating changes in learning styles? Retrieved March 28, 2010, from http://educationalissues.suite101.com/article.cfm/digital_natives_and_digital_immigrants

elearnspace (2002). Preparing students for elearning. Retrieved March 28, 2010, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/Preparingstudents.htm

Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Morra, R.M., & Crismond, D. (2008). Meaningful learning with technology (3rd ed.). In What is meaningful learning? (pp. 1-12). New Jersey: Pearson.

Kennedy, G.E., Judd, T.S., Churchward, A., Gray, K., & Krause, K. (2008). First year students’ experiences with technology: Are they really digital natives? Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 24(1), 108-122.

Larkin, J. (2007). The “digital natives” debate continues…. Retrieved March 28, 2010, from http://blog.larkin.net.au/2007/10/23/the-digital-natives-debate-continues/

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

There are an abundance of new and emerging trends in ICT for Education. Such trends include the introduction of Interactive White Boards (IWB’s) in schools, online Learning Objects (games), WebQuests and the use of the World Wide Web (www). By integrating such resources into lessons, it allows students to connect with the subject matter being taught in a more simplistic and enjoyable manner, whilst at the same time furthering their knowledge of various ICT practices.

The focus for Week 1 was on the use of IWB’s in the classroom. According to Videopro Business Centre (n.d.) an IWB is a touch-friendly screen that is connected to a computer and projector. R J Tolley, in his article ‘The Use of Interactive Whiteboards in Schools’ (n.d.) raises some pertinent issues about its use in the classroom. He points out that IWBs allow even the quietest of students to be actively involved within the lesson. Upon reflecting on my 1-week School Immersion last year, this assertion from Tolley was evident, where student’s who would normally do everything to stay out of the ‘spotlight’ were keen and eager to participate on the IWB. There is an important lesson for me as a future teacher to learn here, and that is, to appeal to the different learning styles of my future students it is vital to vary the way my lessons are taught (i.e. base a normal lesson around an IWB).

According to Tolley (n.d.) IWB’s are still being controlled by the classroom teacher, often from their desk, which minimises all the interactivity of its use in the classroom. This notion is contentious and upon further research appears not to be entirely supported. Ball (2003) points out that IWB’s help shift the power away from teachers to the students. Goodison (2002) furthers this; by pointing out that IWB’s enable student’s to virtually teach each other, by working at a reasonable pace, and learning from each others mistakes. Despite this, Smith, Hardman and Higgins (2006) from their studies conclude that most teachers need to shift their teaching pedagogy from running IWB lessons to simply facilitating them. In spite of the enormous amount of debate on how teachers are conducting IWB lessons, my teaching pedagogy is aligned with the views of Smith, Hardman and Higgins (as evident in the pictures above). This is because I believe (especially from what I observed last year on Prac) that an important key to student’s learning is engaging them with what is being taught, and by giving them numerous opportunities to participate in an IWB lesson, they will be engaged and at the same time, be able to learn at a pace appropriate to them.     

In addition to providing a sound analysis on the 5 Levels of Interactivity and the Twelve Teaching Techniques, the underlying message of Tolley’s article (n.d.) is that to become efficient in their use of an IWB, teachers need to practice using it. Kent (2009, p. 73) reinforces Tolley’s views by stating “the only way that teachers will become proficient in using IWBs is by regularly using the technology in the classroom.”

Kent’s readings (2009), as well as the Promethean Planet site (n.d.), are highly useful to future teachers like myself, as they provide clear and concise instructions on how to implement meaningful IWB lessons. As well as pointing out that all IWB activities should be either labelling, sorting, ordering/sequencing or puzzle/game/simulation activities (Kent, 2009, p. 28) Kent asserts that the best IWB activities centre on the students work being the content of the lesson. I witnessed this whilst I was on Prac, with a number of student’s English stories being scanned onto the IWB, and it was quite apparent from this, that the student’s were far more engaged and connected to the lesson as a result. Consequently, I plan to do this in my classroom as it will make the lesson far more meaningful and significant to the student’s.

Kent (2009) in Chapter 1, highlights a useful point that deserves consideration. He states that using an IWB is by no means certain to work, as the focus for all teachers must be on how they teach, rather than the IWB (the technology). He goes on to say, with good merit, that there is not one set way on how to teach using an IWB. I tend to agree with Kent in this regard, as I believe that teachers should teach with an IWB, in a way that best suits their student’s, which may involve taking a trial-and-error approach to determine the best method.

In summary, there are numerous new trends emerging in ICT, all of which can be used to enhance student’s learning in the classroom. An important trend is the IWB, which if implemented correctly will make classroom lessons more engaging, interactive and appealing. Furthermore, by using ICT trends, such as the IWB, students are able to generate the content for a lesson, and importantly think more critically about what is being taught. ICT current trends (ie. IWB’s) and ICT future trends will continue to define the scope of Education and providing educators continue to implement them into the classroom, the field of Education will forever be enhanced.

Which learning style/s does this ICT support?

The selection of images supports the Visual learners. This is because they are large, visually appealing, and enable students to easily make the connection to what is said in the text with the images provided.

How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?

The selection of images could easily be implemented as a good cognitive tool, as it can further concepts explored in a lesson. Implementing images into a lesson will allow students to take a more critical stance in their level of thinking to the subject matter being taught, as they strive to make the connection between the images and the content. The critical level of thinking that images can foster directly relates to Blooms Taxonomy, and can involve the students simply looking at the pictures, to having to critically analyse their meaning.

Some students learn better through images, and thus all teachers need to acknowledge the different and diverse ways their student’s learn. For this ICT to be implemented as a good cognitive tool, teachers need to, where possible, make exceptions in their lessons to ensure that Visual learners are catered for. For example, ensure that the books read in class contain rich meaningful pictures, base a few lessons around the IWB (with big and appealing images) etc. By doing this, teachers will be able to ensure that student’s who learn better through visual reinforcements are catered for, and thus are able to get the most out of each and every lesson.   

How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?

The selection of images provides a rich environment in which the development of creativity can occur. This ICT enables student’s to not only gather more meaning about what they are learning, i.e. by looking at the images to clarify, or provide additional information on a topic, but it also allows student’s to make their work more visually appealing, by either creating an image or choosing one already made.

This is a good and relevant tool for teachers to use across all stages of Primary School, as encouraging student’s to think of a way to enhance their work, will help develop their level of creativity (an invaluable skill needed for Secondary School).

Reference List:

Ball, B. (2003). Teaching and learning mathematics with an interactive whiteboard. Micromaths, 19(1), 4–7.

Goodison, T. (2002). Enhancing learning with ICT at primary level. British Journal of Educational Technology, 33(2), 215–228.

Interactive whiteboard for primary classrooms [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2010, from http://www.oecd.org/document/60/0,3343,en_2649_35961311_38525052_1_1_1_1,00.html

Kent, P. (2009). Interactive whiteboards: A practical guide for primary teachers. South Yarra: Macmillan Teacher Resources.

Learning tech #20 – interactive whiteboards [Image] (2009). Retrieved March 28, 2010, from http://jamiesonkane.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/learning-tech-20-interactive-whiteboards/

Promethean Planet (n.d.). The world’s largest interactive whiteboard community. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from http://www.prometheanplanet.com/

Smith, F., Hardman, F., & Higgins, S. (2006). The impact of interactive whiteboards on teacher–pupil interaction in the national literacy and numeracy strategies. British Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 443-457.

Tolley, R.J. (n.d.). The use of interactive whiteboards in schools. Retrieved March 27, 2010, from http://www.maximise-ict.co.uk/IWBs.pdf

Videopro Business Centre (n.d.). Interactive whiteboard professional development. Retrieved March 28, 2010, from http://catalogue.videopro.com.au/IWB-Support/IWB-Professional-Development-2009.pdf