Blabberize

I found this application a little tricky to start with, as instructions are limited.  But my son (11 years) helped me play with it and look at this!  My kids are enjoying these new websites I have been playing with, for once they don't mind me studying!  I think the students in my class would find this an entertaining introducing to a new topic of study, as well as using the application themselves.  I downloaded this image from flickr.

http://blabberize.com
flickr image : Donkey Santuary Press Images Photostream

Frustrations!

I am getting frustrated I have now created a Voki - but I am trying to embedding it into this Blog.



Will keep trying otherwise here is my Voki

Playing with Picnik

 Today I have been looking at the group 2 learning tools.  It takes time, not so much the physical downloading of photos but I am easily distracted looking through the photos on flickr - there are some awesome photos out there, I feel like I want to hit the road and travel again.  This is infact the amazing thing about images and the web, from the classroom students can be taken on tour around the globe: photos / artfacts / maps teaching is from the classroom onto the real world platform.  I am initially confused about copyright issues and found it best to select creative commons in my search.

I played with Picnik and can see this is a fun tool that would amuse students and also learn about photography and terminology.  Images create new interesting teaching opportunities and the teacher needs to develop within her students skills of visual literacy, to look beyond the picture and discover the story of what it represents generating opportunity to develop higher thinking skills.

 

Using children's images need the permission of their parents and they should never be identified online.  Websites can be used to upload children's artwork, stories and images and given a protected password so that viewing is limited. 

Photos used with permission 

Picnik: http://www.picnik.com/app#/home/welcome
Visual Literacy:  http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/675

Benefits and Dangers of Using Blogs in the Classroom

Plus	Minus	Implications
·         Enhances children's reading and writing skills ·         Encourages High level thinking  - Blooms taxonomy ·         Social Cognitivism  - Learning Theory ·         Students actively take ownership of their learning ·         Reflective tool ·         Learning can take place across the globe ·         Students can receive feedback on their postings ·         students are authors and publishers of their work	·         Stranger Danger ·         Inappropriate material ·         cyber bullying	·         Blog set up by teachers only for the purposes  of participation on a particular project ·         Explicit teaching on areas of stranger danger /computer etiquette ·         Watch privacy settings ·         Teacher scaffolding

TPACK

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge or TRACK is the framework for teachers, on the subject of technology in the classroom.  Teachers need to understand technology,   and how to filter technology through a foundation of understanding lesson content and pedagogical knowledge.   Technology is to be used to support the teaching and not just for technologies sake. 

Teachers today need to embrace the use of technology in the classroom, to know how to use it and cope with both hardware and software problems.  This can be difficult as technology is constantly changing.  In my own circumstances I have a husband who is good with computers and technical equipment, this  has meant he is usually the one who I have relied on to do all the updates and the first person I call when I can't get something to work properly. 

The article highlights the necessity of knowing the content knowledge of what needs to be taught.  A clear understanding is required to evaluate digital recourses.   There is so much information it is not necessarily going to accomplish the learning required therefore the teacher needs to have a good pedagogical knowledge  to assess if it will provide effective learning for the students.
  

This year I have engaged in the following technology, making power points, using movie maker, creating and using a wiki, a webquest and now a blog.  It is only by going through the process I can appreciate how to use it and its potential purpose in the classroom.   For example in creating the webquest for my SOSE assignment I learned how to create it, how to link sites and embed video clips within the site, evaluate which sites are suitable for children to look at.  Organise tasks that will help them construct meaning and develop a higher level of thinking.  Through completing this task I learnt about this aspect of technology, engaged with the lesson content and pedagogy.    

Reference:

Mishra, P. & Koehler, M . (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: a framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record , 108(6), 1017-1054

My SOSE Webquest link:

https://sites.google.com/site/s0210390/home

Mobile phone Wiki - What do I think about the process?

This week we have been asked to contribute to a discussion on mobile phones in a wiki.  A wiki is a scaffolded design tool which encourages a social constructivism approach, it allows students to post ideas and consider other's point of view.  Scaffolding is essential as it encourages students to think beyond their initial thoughts, and in this instance De Bono's six thinking hats was deployed.  Social constructivism takes place within community and conversation.  Provided participants are respectful of others view we can learn from each other, as we all contribute from varied backgrounds and life experiences which shape our thoughts, for example I cannot help but put my "mother" hat on.  Within the classroom environment it helps support the collaborative learning of students.

There is an element of connectivism which centres on ideas that you begin researching the topic yourself and then build on your knowledge and that of others through networks.   Personally I don't believe our wiki assignment has taken me that deep.   Of the top of my head I added my initial thoughts on the topic.  Did I think deeply, maybe not, however as I reflect, I did read though others comments and was able to contribute four comments that up until this point had not been mentioned.  Is it harder for the last person to add something new?  Is it supposed to be hard?  A wiki is a collection of others expression on a topic.  If we are asked to next week further comment on the wiki by reading others comments and add more this would mean going back into the wiki and choosing a comment that I didn't agree with or hadn't thought about and then going away doing further research then posting a comment based on my investigation this would take learning to a higher level and engage further in the process and see connectivism in action.  As a learning tool it is good to revisit and during the week this topic has been somewhere in my subconscious and when I re visited the wiki earlier I had something more to add.  Thinking takes time! 

Web conferencing - my thoughts as a first time user

This morning I signed on to the web conference for the lecture.  Initially I found the echo of sound to be a little confusing and difficult to understand until my ears adjusted.  I wanted to just be an observer of the process and see how it all worked.  However with only 13 people in the room, it was difficult not to engage in the conversation, no matter how slow or awkward I felt in my understanding of the material or using the tools.  (I include typing when I use the word conversation).   There is a lot going on inside the classroom, a bit like a typical busy classroom when the students are engaged in learning.  There is conversation, questions, discussion, visual, and a blackboard.  (I went back into the class later in the day to have practice writing on the board; while no one was looking, I think I have sussed it out now!)  What an amazing tool for interactive, distance learning.  This sits within the social cognitivism learning theory where learning takes place through conversation.

Tony Buzan - Mind Mapping

So that's my problem my lines are too straight!

Learning Styles

I took the Felder-Solomon online test. I found myself to be fairly balanced; I believe I have the ability to pick up learning given in different forms.   I often feel that I need to have time to process the learning and so it is not always something that is instant understanding.  The type of teaching I received growing up was very much chalk and talk and then we would copy information down in our books.  We were tested by regurgitating facts rather than understanding concepts.  I am fascinated by how smart this young generation appears and seem to have a lot of knowledge about things.  How much does our learning style adapt to what has been offered?  Does it adapt with maturity?  Or perhaps with maturity and interests is more stick ability when wanting to learn a new skill.

 I was interested to see the test was put together with consultation from Dr Linda K Silverman.  I first came across her name 5 years ago when I read her book "Upside Down Brilliance" This was in response to my son being identified by an educational psychologist as a 'Visual Spatial learner.'  It was fascinating reading and gave me appreciation and understanding of this learning style.  There have been many tears, where he hasn't understood something from school and I have then tried to teach him the concept in a very different way.  This has been the greatest influence in making me aware of asking myself are all learning needs catered for.

In the classroom there will be a range of styles auditory, visual and kinaesthetic so each lesson needs to address all learning styles.  A child that is considered an auditory learner will also benefit from these other styles.  With the continual growing access to computers there is no reason why visual instructions cannot be part of all learning experiences.  It is important to remember the saying a picture speaks a 1000 words.   To help profile the learners I can get children to complete a basic survey.  I can observe how students work with their hands or equipment (kinaesthetic) or see how they respond to visual clips.  On the other hand I can ask them if they visualise what they are seeing, do they see words or pictures in their mind?  Do they like to think about how something will work or try for it?  Similar questions to what is in the survey. 

ICT supports learning as it adds variety to the teaching, it allows you to bring in the experts and demonstrate skills.  It shows practical applications to learning and students can travel outside the classroom to another place without leaving their seats.  With the increase of computers and other equipment i.e. ipods, ipads this allows students to interact (kinaesthetic) with the equipment and part of the learning in the form of web quests and other interactive learning sites.  To be able to offer this the teacher needs confidence in using and sourcing technology.

Welcome to my e-learning journey!

Welcome to my e-learning journey!   Task 1 - create / set up my blog  (tick)