"If we teach today's
students as we did yesterday's, we are robbing them of tomorrow."
(John
Dewey, n.d.)
The 21st century, is an
ever-changing environment. New and exciting technologies are created every day,
and tech savvy students increasingly are using these technologies to assist them
with educational tasks. Marc Prensky writes, “Today’s students are no
longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” (2001).Thus, as educators we must
ensure we are engaging students by incorporating these new tools. The old traditional
teaching methods are fast becoming redundant and it is up to us as educators to
embrace change, not fear it. Prensky divides society into two groups, ‘Digital
Natives’ and Digital Immigrants’ (2001).
Digital natives are the learners and users. They were born into and have grown up with new
technology. They see it playing a crucial
role in their lives. I am a digital native. My day to day activities revolve
around the use of technology. I speak, live and breathe communication technology.
I believe this puts me in a good position to implement eLearning into my
teaching and learning practice.
It is important that educators
alter and adapt their methods of teaching. Teachers must ensure they continually
investigate and utilise a broad range of technology and ensure they scaffold
and structure their teaching to suit the needs of their students. According to the Australian Flexible Learning
Framework,
“e-learning is a broader concept [than online
learning], encompassing a wide set of applications and processes which use all
available electronic media to deliver vocational education and training more
flexibly. The term “e-learning” is now used in the Framework to capture the
general intent to support a broad range of electronic media (Internet,
intranets, extranets, satellite broadcast, audio/video tape, interactive TV and
CD-ROM) to make vocational learning more flexible for clients.” (Australian National
Training Authority, 2003)
Educators must
understand that it is effective implementation and design, combined with
effective pedagogy and learning theories (Behaviorism, Constructivism and
Cognitivism), which will enhance learning. This is
where educators must explore the Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge
(TPACK) framework. I believe that teachers must ensure that technology does not
distract from the content, instead be used to enhance it.
In 2004, Siemens developed the learning
theory, Connectivisim. This coupled with Behaviorism, Cognitivism and Constructivism
helps mould the way we teach. Siemens
believed that, “The
capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known. Knowing
where to find information is more important than knowing information”
(Siemens, 2004). My blog posting on Connectivisim outlines the learning theory and my opinions.
Connectivisim will allow students to develop skills for life, ensuring they
know where to locate information and use that information positively. It is an
action which should promote life-long-leaning.
Activities:
The first activity we were asked
to participate in was a scaffolding activity in a Wiki. In this topic we discussed our personal views
on the use of mobile phones in education. At first I was hesitant as I had
never used a Wiki before and I did not understand how or where to start. After
spending some time experimenting, I had a basic understanding of what to
do. I found it to be engaging and
allowed me to see others insights about the topic. The scaffolding used was De
Bono’s Thinking Hats Theory. I was
able to think about the subject more in-depth and understand multiple views on
the subject. In my reflection posted on my blog, I described a range of new possibilities using this e learning
device in my classroom. However, I also realised the importance of having well
scaffolded and structured activities to ensure effective learning. I believe students can use this tool for
practice quizzes, listening examples and as a collaboration tool for
assignments, homework and class work.
During the past 3 weeks we were
asked to explore and reflect on 4 Group Tools. These included online spaces,
multimedia presentations and applications.
Group Tool 1 was investigating
the effective use of Blogs in education. Blogs are, “a personal
website or web page onto which an individual records opinions, links to other
sites, etc. on a regular basis” (Oxford
Dictionary Online, 2013). I found blogs to be
useful in this context. It allowed me to reflect on my opinions and it encouraged
me to think deeply about how I teach and myriad possibilities to create
effective learning. Blogs are also a great tool to gather information in one location
for viewers to see. It was great seeing
other student’s blogs to understand their thoughts and gain fresh ideas about
how they would incorporate new technologies (ICTs) into their teaching.
Successful teachers work together, sharing ideas and concepts to improve their
teaching styles. Blogs help teachers share ideas and create more effective
teaching and learning practices.
Blogs are a great
source of learning design to incorporate in the classroom; however it is
essential that correct pedagogy and structure is employed to ensure students
are learning appropriately. When using
blogs as a reflective tool, it is best to scaffold an activity, which helps
engage higher order thinking (HOTS). Activities
such as De Bono’s Hat Theory, PMI and SWOT analysis, and KWL tables will all
help improve in-depth analysis. An
example of a SWOT analysis can be seen in my blog posting on blogging. In
my teaching I can organise activities for students to reflect on content,
gather media and information that they find interesting from sources to show
their understanding of the content, post music assessment, and collaborate with
other students about their thoughts, ideas and compositions/performances. This
should encourage students to embrace learning and allow them to employ higher
order thinking, communication skills, and take pride in their work as they post
their opinions.
Group Tool 2 was Discovering Multimedia.
It included images, videos, audio and podcasting. Images are important sources
of curriculum delivery in 21st century education. Images can be used across all learning areas
to express meaning that words often fail to describe adequately. They help students make sense of the words and
can inspire creativity, imagination and higher order thinking. They can be an engaging tool, especially to
those who are visual learners; however we must ensure that activities are
structured to ensure students are learning effectively. When planning, teachers should always refer
to the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) to ensure progressive
and effective teaching and learning. By catering to multiple learning styles,
we as teachers are facilitating the best possible learning outcomes for our
students. Further investigation and reflection on this topic was added to my blog.
Group Tools 3 explored
presentations. Presentations can be created in multiple programs and
applications. They can be used online and offline and can incorporate multimedia. Presentation programs, such as Microsoft PowerPoint
and Prez’s can then be used to create hard copy presentations or can be placed
on line spaces, such as blogs, wiki’s and websites.
Microsoft PowerPoint was created
in 1996 and is one of the most common and available presentation programs used
in schools. It is a useful tool which can present information to students in
exciting ways. Teachers can paste
headings and important information into the pages reducing textbook reading for
students. Users can also import multimedia images, music and videos. However,
without the tools and knowledge to create engaging presentations, teachers may hinder
the learning outcomes of students. All teachers,
myself included, must always refer to the TPACK framework to ensure we have a
thorough understanding of the program and use it affectively to ensure presentations
are engaging and interactive. If
teachers model this behaviour, students should reciprocate creating interesting
PP productions of their own.
Prezi’s are the improved, 21st
century presentation application. They are more appealing, animated and
engaging. Prezi’s are extremely easy to use which saves time for students and
teachers. They also allow the importation of PowerPoint presentations and
multimedia. However, Prezi’s are a
presentation tool only, not an interactive device. I have created a very basic Prezi, which I have posted in my blog along with a more in-depth reflection of MS PowerPoint and Prezi’s.
Tool 3 was flexible- our
choice. We were encouraged to reflect on
and explore any other digital tool. I
decided to choose a tool which is extremely essential within my field of music
teaching. ‘Sibelius’ is music notation
software, which helps students present notated music, play back and create midi
recordings. I used this program in high school and throughout my undergraduate
degree in Music. After learning and
experimenting with the program, I found it easy to use with endless opportunities.
It is a useful tool to present legible assessment, listen to compositions and
keep a log book of work. In my classroom I will introduce short, well
structured activities which will engage students and allow them to learn about
the program. I will encourage them to use
it for assessment, private composition work and all forms of self directed
music studies. Although the program is
quite expensive, most schools have a school edition which is available for use
by students and teachers. Introducing Sibelius
into schooling prepares students better for a musical journey beyond school and
universities. I have further reflected on this issue in my blog.
An important factor when using
all online learning tools is student’s safety, ethics and legalities. It is
extremely important to protect the well-being of all students and to ensure all
ethical and legal guidelines are followed.
As a teacher it is my responsibility and I must ensure that I lead by
example. I have included a segment on this issue in my blog. I have included resources, which I found
useful.
By exploring multiple
technologies and digital tools, I have gained insights into the possibilities
for my future teaching and learning practice.
This assessment has allowed me to discover ways I can implement these
tools into my classroom and the positive ways they can engage students. I will continue to experiment and learn about
these tools to ensure my students have the best possible learning experiences. I accept the dynamic nature of our changing
technological school environments and will eagerly embrace new opportunities to
engage students with multi-technologies in my classrooms.
Resources
Australian National Training Authority. (2003). Definitions of Key Terms used in
e-Learning. Retrieved from
Oxford Dictionaries Online. (2013). Blog. Retrieved from
PBS
Programs. (2010). Digital Media: New
Leaners of the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/programs/digital-media/
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved from
Siemens,
G. (2004). Connectivisim- A Learning Theory for the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
