Reflective Synopsis

Although the course ‘ICTs for Learning Design’ at CQUni has been incredibly complex and time consuming, I can safely say that it has been one of the most rewarding and interesting courses that I have studied. I have had fun! Throughout the last 8 weeks, I have been introduced to a vast variety of technologies (see blog posts ‘Wiki’s are amazing’; ‘Voki Avatars’; ‘Power Point Presentation’; ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’; and ‘I’m lovin’ it!’) that I would have been too timid to access on my own accord, but that I am now reasonably competent in! May wonders never cease! I now know what a wiki is; how to create a blog (as evidenced right here!); what a glog is (thanks to Carolyne Thornton, who is also completing this course); how to use Flickr; what function Google Earth has; and a variety of other technologies. This course has also been great in helping me to refine some skills that I already had, but was not working to their full advantage, such as Power Point presentations. I have had a great time thinking of ways that I will be able to use these different technologies within the classroom setting (see blog posts 'Wiki’s are amazing’; ‘Voki Avatars’; ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’; and ‘I’m lovin’ it!’). Also, whilst learning the basics on these technologies, I have been learning about pedagogies for teaching, and how they will directly relate to my lesson planning, lesson implementation and how I will interact with my future students. I have examined in detail Kearsley and Shneiderman’s (1998) ‘Relate-Create-Donate’ theory (see blog post ‘Wiki’s are amazing’); Maslow’s (1970) ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ theory (see blog post ‘A picture is a worth a thousand words’); Marzano and Pickering’s (1997) ‘Dimension’s of Learning’ theory (see blog posts ‘Power Point Presentation’; ‘Voki Avatars’; and ‘I’m lovin’ it!'); Dale’s ‘Cone Theory’ (Abilene Christian University, 2000) (see blog post ‘Voki Avatars’); and Lynch’s (2003, as cited in Aldred, 2010) ‘8 Learning Management Questions’(see blog post ‘Power Point Presentation). I have examined these theories and how they can directly link to the use of ICTs in the classroom, and help to bring about creative and higher order thinking – by using ICTs to think outside of the box (for example, as a teacher “How can I implement this lesson uniquely?”, “What resources do I have at my disposal to make this lesson relevant and engaging for my students?”. For students “How can I find out more about this subject?” or “What do other people think about this? What are my own personal opinions? How can I share these opinions?”).

Throughout my blog postings, I have made it evident that I believe that ICTs can be used very effectively in enhancing lessons – they can be used as ‘hooks’; or they can be used as the ‘means to an end’ (such as research, or the method by which the lesson takes shape). They can also be used to support student learning, such as creating a glog for Technology or a Power Point for Media studies; or uploading and editing a photo on Flickr for Visual Arts. ICTs effect the methods by how students learn (in a positive manner, I believe). The beauty of ICTs is that it modernises every aspect of the students learning, thereby making it relevant to today’s culture and our students. The use of ICTs is also beneficial because learning can take place almost anywhere. Students can access and execute their lessons from their classroom, the library, their home – anywhere that they have access to a computer and the internet. A classic example of this is my own learning through this course and my undergraduate program that I have completed – virtually all of my learning has taken place externally through the use of the internet and my computer. Who knows what the future will bring in regards to the protocols of learning through the ICT medium for students in primary and secondary schools.

There are, of course, procedures that must be followed when using ICTs, which I have demonstrated throughout by own blog – ensuring that my language has always been appropriate; that any comments that I have posted on others blog’s have been courteous (on blogs by Natalie Arthur; Sally James; Kendal Lane; Toni Jordan; Miriam Slattery; and twice on Carolyne Thornton’s); ensuring that any theories have been referenced to the appropriate sources; by being respectful of copyright laws; and by not including the names, details or photos of any of the students, parents, or teachers that I have encountered at my school placement. It will be extremely important when implementing ICT based lessons with my students that they too are made aware of the correct Netiquette procedures and why they are important to adhere to.

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning all of these new technologies and I have implemented the use of them into my blog every week, whilst thinking of how I can use them in a classroom setting in the future - but finding that the future is now! I have already used them in my lessons at school and within my own personal life. At school, I have used a Voki Avatar to introduce a lesson; I have used 2 different YouTube clips; and I have used 2 different Power Point presentations – all within four lessons. Within my personal life, I have used Flickr to create an invitation for my son’s birthday party using a photo of him; and I have created a birthday blog for him, where it gives all of the details for his birthday party, rather than trying to fit all of the information on the invitation. People are beginning to think that I am some sort of ICT Wizard – when really, it is about being a bit brave and just giving them a go. I am very keen to continue learning about ICTs and how I can use them in my personal life and within the classroom – I have found them incredibly interesting and motivating for my own learning and I imagine that they would be the same for my students. I also want to keep learning about ICTs because I want to be the best teacher that I can possibly be (see blog post ‘Epiphany’), and that means engaging and inspiring my students in their learning.

Thank you for sharing the first part of my ICT learning journey with me.

- Leesha

Reference List

Abilene Christian University Adam's Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Active learning online. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm

Aldred, S. (2010). Week 2 - Learning design fundamentals. Lecture notes distributed in the course EDED 20491 - ICT's for Learning Design, at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, on March 8, 2010.

Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Education Technology, 38(5), 20.

Marzano, R & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: teacher's manual (2nd ed.). Alexandria : ASCD.

Maslow, A. (1970). Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs. Retrieved on March 8, 2010, from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=9976&week=3

Power Point of old...

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Alicia clark assessment2

View more presentations from Alicia Clark.

I'm lovin' it!

Hey guys,
More gems in this weeks course notes. The first task was getting a YouTube clip that we could use in a lesson - funny thing is, I used one in a lesson that I did today! It's called 'Tree of Hope' and it is about litter and it's negative affects. I used the clip as a hook - and gee, did it hook! I didn't say anything, just put the clip on and the classroom buzz just disappeared! After that, the rest of the lesson went really well - the kids were really interested in what we were talking about and had ideas and opinions. I also used the clip to show the kids the recycling symbol. Here is the clip:



Other things that we have learnt about this week have included wikipedia. Anyone who has ever tried to search on something on Google has ended up in wikipedia, I'm sure. It would be great to use for students as it gives a great starting off point for research; the language is easy to understand; and it provides links within wikipedia to other related topics. Also, it is great because you can access it from any internet connection, so students are able to use it within the school or from home, so they can keep the continuity in their research.

Google earth was very cool. I really enjoyed finding my house, and I can imagine that students would too. You could of course use this to teach geography, but I also like the suggestions on the blog of using it to research the locations of Shakepeare's plays and Jane Austen's books (or any of the books that the students are reading). Also, I thought that it could be used for students to experience places that are in the news, or are significant (ie, Haiti or Gallipoli).

I couldn't create a narration for my powerpoint, because I don't have a microphone for my computer (will have to look into that), but I followed the instructions and think that it would be ok to do. The power point presentation I used was from an assignment that I did for my undergraduate degree in Human Movement Science. After doing the powerpoint workshop a couple of weeks ago, I was quite ashamed of this presentation - which I think is a good thing! It means that I'm learning how to use ICT's more effectively (which is probably the point of the course!)I thought the process of uploading the powerpoint presentations onto slideshare was simplistic, and I'm sure that with the right intsruction, students would too.

I downloaded some copyright-free music. That was cool too. I can imagine using them for music lessons to discuss how tempo, volume etc are being used to evoke emotion, and asking students what that makes them feel. This could then become a health lesson (mental health) or an english lesson (writing a poem).

All of the tasks that we completed in this weeks course notes would not stand on their own, but rather as a means of enhancing an ICT skill that the students already have. So I think that these ICT's are pedagogically linked to Dimensions of Learning (DoL) 3 and 4 - Extend and Refine Knowledge; and Use Knowledge Meaningfully (Marzano and Pickering, 1997). Students will already have an ICT base that they can expand upon (DoL3) and use these ICT's to enhance their existing ICT's (DoL4).

As always, I would love to hear any comments from you.

- Leesha!

Marzano, R. & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of learning: Teacher's manual (2nd ed.). Alexandria : ASCD.

Epiphany

Last night whilst I was watching my 11 month old son sleep, I had an epiphany. I am so in love with my son and I want the best for him in everything. I am determined that he will always have everything that he needs (and honestly, probably most of what he wants. I'm a real push-over when it comes to Harry) and I will give him every opportunity to reach his dreams. I then realised that all other mothers have stood over their babies and thought the same thing. Want them to be healthy and happy, and to have the best of everything - including the best education. This is where my epiphany came in - I can make those mother's wishes come true! I can be a part of giving their child the best education through my own commitment to their child and my own self-development. This is where courses like the ICT course; the literacy course; the pedagogical frameworks; and the inclusion and diversity course really come into their own. These courses are no longer just about getting the information that I need to make me an effective teacher and to help me pass the course, but rather, the tools that I need to impact the lives of children and their families. This is both an exciting and daunting prospect, but one that I am willing and wanting to tackle head-on.
Perhaps what I have written is incredibly cheesy, incredibly naive, or perhaps even replicating what you have been thinking (perhaps all along), but this is now where I am at in my GDLT learning - it's no longer about me, but my future students and their mother's hopes and dreams.

- Leesha

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Hi guys,
Another great lesson. A basic tool that I had no idea how to access. First, I will put on a couple of my silly images (looking at the photos that some people have posted, I am truly humbled by their creativity) which I had a blast editing. Then two that I downloaded from Flickr: a cute one, and then one that has the potential to be truly moving and thought provoking.








A few ideas that I have come up with to use Flickr in a classroom setting include:
1. Taking photos of students and having it in a presentation for parents night etc. The students could possibly even edit their own photos. Also, students could take photos of the teachers and edit them in silly ways ie. the popping eyes, blurring them etc
2.I could imagine even just showing these photos to students to inspire their own creativity - some of the photos on file are just stunning
3. Teachers and students could use the photos (as they are free) in presentations
4. You could take photos and create your own electronic story book by editing them
5. teachers could use the photos to expose their students to different things. For example, they could be used to see what the physical differences and similarities are between a praying mantic and a stick insect
6. The photos could be used to spark emotion, or humour, or to prove a point. For example, the last photo that I have on here is a photo of a World War 2 memorial in Hungary. Apparently, at that spot on the wharf, the Nazis lined up many Jews and shot them. How do you feel now? Do you want to know more? I know that I did. It is such a simple, yet powerful image. Of course, using photos for this purpose we would have to be extremely sensitive to the different personalities within our class, and recognise if our students were mature enough to handle it.

Flickr technology would allow our students to express their own creativity, and for many, perhaps a chance to pursue an inner talent. They would have a chance to develop mastery, and being creative in this form could potentially give them a sense of achievement. These potential outcomes are all a part of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (1970), in the 'Self-Esteem' and 'Self-Actualization' [sic] sections, which are at the top of the Pyramid. As teachers, we are working to ensure that our students can reach their full potential, and reach the top of this pyramid. We first have to ensure that the lower levels of the pyramid are being met (physiological; safety; belonging-love), but when they are, I believe that lessons incorporating ICTs like Flickr have the ability to meet those higher needs. I guess a lot of it comes down to how we are presenting our lessons and engaging with our students.

I am loving learning all of these things in our course. It opens up the door to so many exciting lesson opportunities.

Love to hear from you :)

- Leesha!

Maslow, A. (1970). Abraham Maslow hierarchy of needs. Retrieved on March 8, 2010, from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=9976&week=3

Power Point Presentation

Australian Money

Well, here is my Power Point. I chose to do it on a maths lesson that my Mentor Teacher will be doing with her Grade 2 students in the next couple of weeks. However, i am planning on showing her this presentation and perhaps I will be fortunate (Unfortunate?) enough to be able to take the lesson instead! Fingers crossed.
I, like probably most people my age (26 as of Monday), have done a Power point presentation, although I don't ever remember being taught how to actually do it. As a result, my slide shows have always been incredibly basic. But now! Now I know how to transitions; sound bytes; and animate specific pieces of text etc. Also, the things I did know how to do before, well I think I almost always took the long way around and don;t even get me started onhow I probably over-did my power pointing every time I did a power point presentation. This video from Don McMillan cracked me up - "It's funny because it's true"



The presentation that I did on money, I tried to base it around the 8 Learning Management Questions (8LMQ's)(Lynch, 2003, as cited by Aldred, 2010) and the Dimensions of Learning (Marzano & Pickering, 1997).

From the first section of the Dimensions of Learning (DoL1), I focused on ‘Use a variety of ways to engage students’ (p.31). The presentation included:
• Having photos of real coins up on the screen
• Students individually using their plastic coins to make up the sum
• Students drawing the coins into their work books
• Students ‘playing shop’ with a partner and explaining why they chose to pay the way that they did
• Having the work problems displayed on the power point, but only being able to see a partial of the screen, so that they can ‘have a go’ by themselves before the answer is revealed
• The exercise is math addition and basic multiplication, but it is with money

From DoL3, I focused on ‘Classifying’ (the process of grouping things that are alike into categories, p.123); ‘Abstracting’ (the process of finding and explaining general patterns in specific information or situations, p.130); and ‘Constructing support’ (the process of finding support for statements, p.160). The presentation included:
• Grouping 2 of the same coin together gives us a higher money value, and can quite often become the equivalent of an entirely new coin (ie. 2x 5c = 10c, which can be a single coin)

From DoL4, I focused on ‘Systems analysis’ (the process of describing how the parts of a system work together, p.246). The presentation included:
• Recognising that money has its own system (ie. The lowest coin is 5c, not 1c, however, that it can still work within tried and tested math addition formats (ie. 5c + 5c = 10c, like 5 + 5 = 10)
• Recognising that although if we add 5c+5c, 10c+10c, and 50c+50c, the answer could include a new coin as an answer, if we add 20c+20c, it does not.
• Recognising that there will be some money values (like 70c) that could require 2 coins, however, they will not be the same 2 coins.

From DoL5, I focused on ‘Identify and use necessary resources’ (p.293). The presentation included:
• The interactive whiteboard to display the power point presentation
• Plastic coins so the students could manually ‘have a go’ at making the money value up and to ‘play shop’
• Their work books to draw their responses in

When focusing on the 8LMQ’s, I went over each question as if it were a checklist.

• LMQ1: What do students already know?
o The class has done basic addition, so now it is time to do it in regards to money
• LMQ2: Where does the learner need to be?
o Investigating equivalence value using coins of the same denominations
o The counting sequence of coins
o Using mental groupings to count
• LMQ3: How does my learner best learn?
o Has visual elements
o Has kinesthetic elements
o Has oral elements
• LMQ4: What resources do I have at my disposal?
o Plastic money
o Interactive whiteboard
o Work book
• LMQ5: What will constitute the learning journey?
o Includes working with the class and with partners (Relate)
o Includes using the pretend money to have a go physically making up the correct monetary value (Create)
o Involves learning a ‘real life’ concept about Australian money (Donate) (Relate, Create, Donate from Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1998.)
• LMQ6: Who will do what?
o The class will be presented by the teacher (me)
o The children will have the opportunity to work out the answer and tell the class
o The children will have the opportunity to work individually
o The children will have the opportunity to work with a partner in a ‘play time/drama’ scenario
• LMQ7: How will I check to see if my learner has succeeded?
o Although not part of the presentation, I would collect the work books to mark, and walk around the classroom answering questions and listening to the children’s role plays
• LMQ8: How will I inform the learner of their progress?
o I will provide comments and ticks in their work books

Well, that's all from me guys. As always, I would love to hear from you. Also, I can't wait to check out your Power Point presentations!

- Leesha!


Aldred, S. (2010). Week 2 - Learning design fundamentals. Lecture notes distributed in the course EDED 20491 - ICT's for Learning Design, at Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia, on March 8, 2010.

Kearsley, G. & Shneiderman, B. (1998). Engagement theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Education Technology, 38(5), 20.

Marzano, R & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: teacher's manual (2nd ed.). Alexandria : ASCD.

Voki Avatars

Get a Voki now!



Well, hopefully this post will be underneath my avatar! Thanks to the people who posted tips for me. I got so excited that I had made an avatar, I emailed it to my sister, boasting on how cool I was (she just looked at me indulgently). Like with the wiki's that we learnt how to create last week, I was very excited to learn how to make an avatar and was excited when I though about how I can use them within a classroom setting. This week I started my prac at a local primary school with Grade 2kids. I spent my 2 days observing and making notes, and one thing I really noticed was how engaged the children became when their lessons involved ICT's. I actually got to have a go of an interactive whiteboard this week - they are amazing! I'm going to spend the Easter break doing a bit of research into them, and how I can use them extensively to teach the class. I also realised that an avatar would look great projected onto the interactive whiteboard! I thought of a few ways that I could use an avatar in a classroom setting:

1. One of the simplest reasons to use it would be to provide a 'hook' to the lesson. They are cool, they are novel, they are different. I, as the teacher, would look highly knowledgeable and informed. I believe it would be a win-win situation.
2. Avatars could help the children with their reading and learning their 'sight words'. An avatar could speak a story and the children could read along with them etc.
3. Avatars could be used at 'work stations' that are set up around the room. An avatar could be programmed to give the students instructions at each station, this way the teacher wouldn't have to be at every station at once, and it would be very helpful in reducing the chance of 'overloading' the students minds before the lesson has even begun.
4. The students could create avatars for projects and presentations. This may be especially beneficial to shy students or those with oral difficulties.
5. Students could use the avatars character to say things and share emotions that they may have difficulty expressing or not have the confidence to express within the classroom.

In Dale's Cone Theory (The Abilene Christian University Adam's Centre for Teaching Excellence, 2000), dramatised experiences are the third from the bottom of the cone (the bottom of the cone is the most effective learning experiences, and the top of the cone is the least effective learning experiences). What is an avatar but a dramatised learning experience! I could say exactly the same thing as my avatar character, but it is not nearly as engaging or unique or exciting as hearing it from a digital character on the interactive whiteboard! Also, in Dimension 1 of 'Dimensions of Learning' (Marzano & Pickering, 1997, p.31), it is recommended that teachers 'use a variety of ways to engage students in classroom tasks'. As expressed in the point forms above, avatars could be used in a variety of ways within the classroom, both by the teacher or the students themselves. Marazano and Pickering state that although it can be challenging for teachers to continually construct lessons that are engaging and interesting, it is imperative in order for students to make the most from their learning. I guess this is why it is so important for teachers to stay up-to-date in technology - to hopefully stay one-step-ahead of our students and keep them engaged within a classroom setting.

Well, that's all from me for now. If you agree, disagree, wannna chew the fat, drop me a line :)

Leesha!

Marzano, R & Pickering, D. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: teacher's manual (2nd ed.). Alexandria : ASCD.

The Abilene Christian University Adam's Centre for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Active learning online. Retrieved April 3, 2010, from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm