Reflective synopsis

In the beginning of the term I began the E-learning course with a basic understanding of technology and tools we can use on the internet. This course has taught me many skills and opened my eyes to tools I will be able to use in my professional career as a teacher and in my own personal time. When I came into this course at the start of the semester I did not see any relevance the course had for my future, however now I realise it has opened my eyes to what is available as far as “technology based teaching and learning” (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). In just six weeks my skills and knowledge on technology has evolved greatly and I am confident it will keep growing as I continue blogging and keeping up with new technologies in the future.

Children born in this new generation are automatically introduced to a world of technology. New discoveries are presented everyday which means technology will only increase more and more each year. “As the pace of change in the 21st century continues to increase, the world is becoming more interconnected and complex, and the knowledge economy is craving more
Intellectual property.” (J.S Brown, 2005). For teachers today, use of technologically based learning is paramount.

In the beginning of the term I created my first blog account. Having used similar sites such as Facebook and MySpace I found blogging to be quite similar, however blogging is used in a professional manner whereas Facebook and MySpace are used mostly for socialising and keeping connected with people around the world. As you can see below my blog consists of a series of posts all with “technology based tools” in common. One post that especially captures the idea of technology growth is the blog named “Did you know?” Each of the tools presented in my blog come under one of four topics, these topics are:
• Access and gain information
• Consolidate and refine information
• Transform information to develop new understandings
• Present knowledge to an audience

There are a number of postings on my blog which are examples of tools that would be useful to embed in classroom lessons. The first tool I experimented with is concept mapping. On my blog I have used a concept map twice. The first one I created called “Concept maps”, was a practice example to help my understanding of the program, I also found this tool of concept mapping to be useful when it came to give an outline on the Big6 which is a framework designed to “teach information and technology skills in the world” (M. Eisenberg 2001). I am extremely fortunate to have discovered this program as it became useful for an assignment I completed this term. Concept mapping can be used in the classroom to give students a visual diagram of links between concepts and paint them a clear example of how data connects. "Concept mapping has been shown to help learners learn, researchers create new knowledge, administrators to better structure and manage organizations, writers to write, and evaluators assess learning." (Joseph D. Novak & Alberto J. Cañas, 2006)

As I have recently discovered PowerPoint’s have evolved greatly since I was using them in school. Many new applications and tools have been imbedded into the program to create an interactive learning tool that can be used to engage students in many aspects of learning. The ways in which a power point can be used in classrooms is for assessment (either created my teacher or students), or throughout lessons to help students gain understanding of their learning through visual and auditory components. As shown in my blog called “Interactive PowerPoint”, this tool can be extremely useful to gain understanding of your students learning level and style, and for the students it promotes higher order thinking with endless possibilities to:
o Evaluate - Judging the outcome
o Synthesis - Putting together
o Analysis - Taking apart
o Application - Making use of knowledge
o Comprehension - Confirming or understanding
o Knowledge - Gathering Information
(B. Bloom, 1956)

Images are a great way to visually engage students into lessons. Website programs such as Weebly, Flickr and Pinick are all image editing applications that have been designed to enhance the quality of photographs and to share these images to friends and family online. Flickr is a great recourse for teachers because you can find quality pictures on just about any topic. At the top of the flickr website you will find a search option, this is where you type what you need to get quick access to images. Flickr is made up of many people’s real life photographs which have been taken from all over the world so you are guaranteed to find exactly what you need. A post which is included in my blog titled “ICT engagement tools” is a basic example of ways in which images could be included in lessons. Images are a way to create a better visual understanding of what is being taught.

As shown in the blog called “Visual thinking” there are many benefits to use visual technology when creating lessons for students. Learning in the 21st century means less outdated technology such as over head projectors and type writers, and more visual engagement tools such as images, digital videos and internet sites. Lifelong learning (LLL) is something that is becoming widely recognised, and promoted to teachers to motivate this theory to their students. As new career opportunities and studies are introduced each year, students have more flexibility to choose a career path that links directly to their interest. When students are interested and motivated, they are ensured to learn at a higher quality, and also retain the information.

Other posts evident in my blog include podcast and video upload which are visual examples of digital videos and how they can be edited to suit any area of learning. When using a podcast there is the option to include video with audio, or just audio. This tool could be used in many ways; an example of how you could use a podcast in your classroom is through the voice recorder. Teachers have the opportunity to record a lesson or read a book at home and play it during class. This will give teacher some extra time in class to do other things while students are engaged through the use of technology.

Technology has given people today the opportunity to access a world of knowledge. With the click of a mouse you have the opportunity to access just about anything with the use of the internet. For teachers technology is improving the quality of lessons and opening an entire new page of learning. Teachers have access to sites such as “The learning place” which is a web site designed for teachers and students that is full of lesson and activity ideas, games, information and many more. With this web site you are able to choose a number of options such as year level, subjects and each of these options are full of useful materials that are ready made for your classroom. One option on the learning place is called Curriculum exchange, this section gives you links to many relevant teaching web sites, it provides teaching ideas, practices and strategies, learning objects and digital resources just to name a few.

After viewing my own blog and reflecting on my new discoveries I have realised just how important technology has become to the world. According to the Bureau of Statistics, only 29% of Australian households owned a computer, compared to 75% in 2009 (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2009). It is extremely important for teachers especially to keep updated with all the latest technology. The reason for this is because children need to be motivated and challenged in school. Students are the first to know when new technology is introduced, therefore elder technologies and activities may fail to engage our learners. I am very happy to say that the Managing E-learning course has opened my eyes to many resources I was unaware of; these resources will most defiantly come into practice in a few short years as I begin my career as a Learning Manager.

References
Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999) Engagement Theory: a framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved August 21, 2010, from http://home.sprynet.com

J.S Brown, 2005. New Learning Environments for the 21st Century. Retrieved August 21, 2010, from http://www.johnseelybrown.com/newlearning.pdf

M. Eisenberg 2001. BIG6™ INFORMATION SKILLS. Retrieved August 21, 2010, from http://nb.wsd.wednet.edu/big6/big6_resources.htm#overview

Joseph D. Novak & Alberto J. Cañas, 2006. "The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct Them." Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. Retrieved August 21, 2010, from https://www.thevisualleap.com/about.html

B. Bloom, 1956. Higher order THINKING. Retrieved August 21, 2010, from http://www.popet.com.au/pages/highorderthinking.html

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009). HOUSEHOLDS WITH TVs, VCRs, CDs AND PCs. Retrieved August 22, 2010 from, http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/2f762f95845417aeca25706c00834efa/a1b5d7636e6719f7ca2570ec00753522!OpenDocument

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009). MAIN FINDINGS. Retrieved August 22, 2010 from, http://abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0/

Discussions


Keeleigh said...
Hey Nick,
Great job on your podcast! Just a question though, did it take a long time for the microphone to connect when going to record this? Because I have tried a few times and it says connecting and never changes? I’m thinking it might be my computer.
August 23, 2010 4:32 PM

Nick Lunn said...
Hi Keeleigh,
Thanks, it is a little strange knowing that your voice will be out in the world wide web though. I had the same problem as you and it would not connect. Very frustrating as I'm sure your aware of. I ended up recording it using my Iphone and importing it as a voice memo.
If your computer has a web cam or microphone record a clip using its software and then upload it using podcast.
Hope this helps!
Nick
August 23, 2010 4:56 PM
Keeleigh said...
Hey Bridget,
I also love creating visual movies and slideshows however movie maker is a very simple program compared to many others out there. I have been using a program called pinnacle for a few years now and it has been extremely effective when editing footage from my video recorder. I would highly recommend it for future video/photo slide showing as a teacher or just for personal use.
Keeleigh.

Keeleigh said...
Hey talia,
I haven't been able to figure out how to change pinnacle files either. I have spend hours researching and trying to change them myself but had no luck! Let me know if you find anything.
Thanks Keeleigh
August 22, 2010 8:27 PM