Reflective Synopsis

 Reflective Synopsis

Technology in the classroom always seems to be viewed with a sense of both fear and wonder.  Due to the ever changing nature of technology it is no surprise that some teachers are hesitant to change their ways to accommodate technology.  The current Australian curriculum no longer views ICT (Information Communication Technologies) use an optional extra with educators now being expected to include ICTs  wherever it is appropriate (ACARA, 2012).  Not only does the curriculum expect it but students who are constantly exposed to technology expect to be engaged by this same technology in the classroom (Prensky, 2005). As such, the time for arguing whether or not to include ICTs in the classroom has passed and we now need to consider how best to utilise the vast array of technology available to us. Over the course of my E-learning journey I have had the opportunity to experiment with all sorts of ICTs I had not experienced or considered preciously and some of these will be featured later on in this synopsis.  Before looking at specific technologies this synopsis will first consider the vital legal, safe and ethical considerations related to any use of technology and the educational theory behind the use of ICTs as well as the importance of frameworks such as TPACK.

The internet has provided students and educators with a wealth of information at their fingertips but it also brings with it a slew of ethical and legal quandaries as well as new child safety issues unique to the field of information technology. Ethical issues online can be grouped under privacy, property and usage descriptors and place students in a position of needing to be aware of copyright restrictions and fair usage of intellectual property which must be explicitly taught in tandem with computer skills (Johnson, 1999). Safety issues arise in the form of exposure to inappropriate content (violent, sexually explicit, hateful, etc.), potential for misuse of personal information students may supply online and in the physical peril related to online stranger danger with the potential for meeting people, especially those claiming to be other than what they are increases infinitely by access to the internet (Fasso, 2012). Interaction with ICTs provides new ways for old problems to occur and this is true of the previously mentioned issues but most worryingly ICTs have led to the advent of cyber bullying which has the potential to destroy young lives through campaigns of threats, slander and abuse via social media, phones and various other technologies.  The department of education and training supplies guidelines for navigating the new risks that technology brings into the classroom and these can be viewed here.  In order for students to operate safely, legally and ethically online teachers must be aware of the dangers students face, be acquainted with legal rights and responsibilities and also model the appropriate behaviour at all times, meaning that teachers must be vigilant in the fair use of property, attribution of authors, provision of personal information and how they conduct themselves online.

A major component of this e-learning course has been to gain an understanding into how ICTs fit in with existing learning theories.  Constructivism has been identified as the learning theory best supported by the use of ICTs because they facilitate the construction of knowledge and therefore more complex learning (Fasso, 2012).  In a constructivist model of education each learner creates knowledge and unique interpretations of external ideas and experiences (Snowman, et. al., 2009). We have experienced this most noticeably in online activities such as the Wiki mobile phone debate.  This activity asked students to contribute their opinions, thoughts and knowledge about whether mobile phones should be used in classrooms.  By engaging in this discussion using a Wikispace students were able see other peoples perspectives and use them to inform their own opinion and broaden their understanding of the topic. Constructivist learning by its nature is collaborative and should lead to outcomes that are not controlled or predictable (Jonassen in Mergel, 1998) and this activity achieved these outcomes as I think a lot of people were really surprised about where the discussion took them and how their own ideas could be challenged. 

Another important lesson learnt through this activity was the importance of scaffolding in order to stimulate higher order thinking.  Blooms Taxonomy outlines different levels of thinking skills and the types of activities people participate in can stimulate low level learning such as data recall or trigger higher order skills like analysing, evaluating and creating (Clark, D., 2010).  In order to facilitate higher order thinking in the Wiki discussion the De Bono’s Six Hats thinking tool was employed as a scaffold. See my blog entry on this discussion for an explanation of De Bono's hats.  By scaffolding the conversation with this thinking tool the contributions were not just random thoughts but focussed and considered answers informed by the whole group’s contributions. Weekly activities were also scaffolded, in my case, using a PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) chart.  I found that using a PMI to evaluate each technology helped order my thinking and allowed me to make considered, analytical judgements rather than simply stating how I felt about a particular technology. Proper scaffolding whether it takes the form of six hats, a PMI or a SWOT analysis is paramount in ensuring the success of learning activities, especially those incorporating ICTs.  It has been clear from reading other blog entries and my own experiences that if ICTs are not carefully employed and thought out they will be more likely to lead to distraction than learning. 

In addition to learning theories, decisions on learning design regarding ICTs are also supported by the TPACK (Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge) framework.  In 1986 Shulman introduced the phrase ‘pedagogical content knowledge’ (Intime, 2001) proposing that beyond having content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge as isolated areas there needed to be blending of the two domains in order to teach effectively (Mishra & Koehler,2006).  TPACK extends on this thinking by introducing technology as a third domain.  The TPACK framework allows teachers to consider the relationship between teaching and technology and thus transforms “the conceptualization and the practice of teacher education, teacher training, and teachers’ professional development” (Mishra & Koehler,2006) in order to support implementation of ICTs.  With this is mind I will now reflect on four of the technologies I have explored over the course of my e-learning journey in terms of their effectiveness as teaching tools.

ICT Tool 1 - Wikispaces

Wikispaces provide online storage spaces known as Wikis in which users can upload content which can be revised, edited or replaced by any user.  A range of file types are supported on Wikis (audio, video, images) but they are commonly heavily text based.  Wikis support constructivist learning approaches with all users being able to add and revise data and collaborate to form ideas.  I have personally used wiki spaces for a range of purposes including using them as an online information hub for group work, participating in the mobile phone debate (as mentioned earlier) and also for creating a companion site for a unit on building solar boats (featured here 4r-solarboatchallenge.wikispaces.com/home). As a teaching tool the versatility of Wikis makes them ideal for a whole range of different activities.  I have listed some ways a Wiki could be utilised in class along with a PMI in my Week 3 blog post. 

ICT Tool 2 - Podomatic (pod casting)   

A podcast allows users to record and upload audio files that can be stored online and accessed by other users.  Sites like Podomatic provide a search function for people to search for other users’ podcasts as well.  I chose podcasts as my ICT tool for this group because they provide a highly accessible and incredibly easy to use tool for students to make audio recordings.  From a connectivist standpoint podcasts are a great  learning tool because it is easy to search for information on a wide range of topics and access it anywhere although, as I have mentioned in my blog posting on podcasts it would not be wise to allow students to randomly search for podcasts because of the unknown content.  This is where scaffolding once again is so important when implementing any ICT.  In addition to accessing other peoples’ podcasts it is the ability for students to record their own which really interests me.  Oral presentation is a daunting task for a lot of students (and adults!) and podcasts allow students to easily record orals without even having to show their face as  they would on a video recording which means there is less of a privacy issue with uploading podcasts online comparatively.  You can listen to my podcast discussing my PMI on Podomatic in my blog post here.

ICT Tool 3 - Glogster

Glogster is a site which allows users to create digital posters and scrapbook style displays which can include images, videos and audio files.  I chose Glogster for my focus for this group of tools because despite Prezi and Power Point both being excellent technologies I felt that Glogster provides the most creative, accessible and versatile tool for students where as Prezi and Power Point are often more of a teacher tool.  Although Glogsters are not a collaborative tool like a Wiki they still lend themselves to constructivist learning by providing authentic, real world tasks (Jonassen in Mergel, 1998) such as creating a poster to address real environmental or social issues and have them actually exist online and be publicly viewable . In my blog I have included a PMI on Glogster and I have also embedded a Glog that I created as a digital task card to scaffold independent science learning.   

ICT Tool 4 – Bubbl.us (Concept Mapping)

The final ICT tool I have chosen to investigate is Bubbl.us which is used for making concept maps sometimes called mind maps.  Concept mapping is based in cognitivist theory and works on the premise that the mind works on imagination and association (Buzan, T., 2007).  A concept map looks similar to a brainstorm on paper/screen but differs considerably in that it shows how ideas are connected and gives insight into the process that the creator of the map has travelled to get to their ideas.  I chose Bubbl.us over the alternative mind map tool suggested largely because of its ease of use and attractive appearance which would make it more appealing to students.  In terms of usefulness in the classroom the benefits of using concept maps have been experienced already using hand drawn maps but the online version gives you all the benefits of a concept map (coherent thought process, visual representation of ideas, insight into students minds) with the added benefits of being able to be accessed online and revisited and edited as students develop new ideas and correct thinking.  This can even lead to collaborative learning and reflective practice as students can compare and comment on each other’s ideas and help evaluate and refine their own thinking practices.  For a full PMI and example of a bubbl.us concept map visit my blog posting here.   

Final Thoughts

In experiencing a range of new technologies over the last few weeks I have come to appreciate just what can be possible with ICTs in the classroom.  With consideration to learning theories and TPACK I believe that all classrooms can benefit from the use of technology but it has to be used thoughtfully and carefully.  ICTs are powerful tools that must always be handled with care.  If teachers are vigilant in the ethical, safe and legal practices and intelligent about how they scaffold learning experiences it really is possible to achieve the harmonious blend of technology, pedagogy and curriculum that will yield amazing results from students.  

 

References

Australian Curriculum, Assessment Reporting Authority (2012). Information and communication technology capability. Retrieved 16 August, 2012, from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Information-and-Communication-Technology-capability/Introduction/Introduction

Buzan, T. (2007). Maximise the power of your brain. Retrieved August 16, 2012, from http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=12563

Clark, D. (2010). Blooms taxonomy of learning domains. Retrieved 17August, 2012, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html#cognitive

Fasso, W. (2012). The TPACK framework. Retrieved 15 August, 2012,  from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=12575

Fasso, W. (2012). Working legally, safely and ethically online: the issues. Retrieved 15 August, 2012,  from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=12573

Fasso, W. (2012). A brief overview of learning theory. Retrieved 15 August, 2012,  from CQUniversity e-courses, FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=12563

Intime (2001). Teachers in-depth content knowledge. Retrieved 15 August, 2012, from http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/teacher/teac2summary.html

Johnson, D. (1999). Handout for teaching students right from wrong in the digital age. Retrieved from http://www.janinelim.com/bc/4thur/ethics.pdf 

Mergel, B. (1998). Learning theories of instructional design. Retrieved 16 August, 2012, from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#The%20Basics%20of%20Behaviorism

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Retrieved 15 August, 2012, from http://site.aace.org/pubs/sigs/sig-Mishra-Koehler-TCR.pdf

Prensky, M. (2005). "Engage me or enrage me": what today's learners demand. Retrieved 16 August, 2012, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf

Snowman, J., Dobozy, E., Scevak, J., Bryer, F., Barlett, B., and Biehler. (2009). Psychology applied to teaching (1st ed.). Milton, QLD: John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.