Synopsis

During the writing of this blog, the many different uses for technology in the classroom were investigated. The blog looked at the positives and negatives of using this technology in the classroom setting, and different methods were used to investigate these technological tools. The tools that were investigated were wikis, websites, digital images, videos, audio, and PowerPoints. The positives and negatives were investigated as well as any risks that were involved. Different methods were used to do this such as “Bono’s thinking hats”, the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis and a PMI (Plus Minuses and Negatives). During these investigations, it was discovered how using these different approaches can aid learning in the classroom and how to best implement these tools. On the positive side these technological tools can be used to make learning more engaging, as they engage kinaesthetic, audio and visual learners through the use of images, sounds and interactive games. However, during these investigations it was also found that such tools can come with negatives and risks, and that the teacher needs to realize that it is important to use these tools as an aid, and not as part of the whole lesson. They are there to support the teacher, as well as helping the children to learn essential IT skills.

During the first two weeks, the focus was largely on wikis and the different ways these could be used to spread ideas and opinions. These activities focussed on using wikis. The following links show the blog posts that looked at the different ways of working with and using wikis:

http://amydurman.blogspot.com/2011/08/digital-natives-and-immigrants.html

http://amydurman.blogspot.com/2011/08/thinking-hats-and-mobile-phones.html

For the first activity we had to read through an article with a partner. Then we had to create a PMI to look at the Plusses, Minuses and what we found Interesting. Each partner had to choose one article, then instead of having to read through every article, we were able to read the PMI’s of the other class members enabling us to learn what they had discovered. The same was done with the second activity in week two, except this time we used de Bono’s Thinking Hats to investigate whether or not mobile phones should be allowed in schools. This forced us to look at whether or not mobile phones should be allowed by looking at the issue through different perspectives, such as, while wearing the Black Hat, I would have to see it through the eyes of a “judge”, and through the Yellow Hat I would have to see the good things about using phone in the class room, and while wearing the White Hat, I would have to look at the facts and nothing else. De  Bono’s different hats method of seeing things from different perspective is one way of looking at issues and would be beneficial in the school setting.

The next blog focussed on using Wikis and Websites in general. The following blog post can be found here: http://amydurman.blogspot.com/2011/08/role-of-wikis-and-websites-in-classroom.html

  

As part of this blog, I used a previous website I had created for children and one that could be used to help them learn about various ways of looking at different perspectives. I had created a webquest for this. The webquest can be found here: https://sites.google.com/site/differentperspectiveswebquest/home

During this investigation I did a SWOT analysis to observe the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Threat was something I hadn’t looked at before and showed the dangers of using websites, as well as the ethical threats of putting too much of a student’s information online.

I also looked at using videos, images and audio to engage children. This is a great way to ensure that children are interested in what is being taught. They can also learn to use these tools, which can encourage their creativity. To view the blog post click here: http://amydurman.blogspot.com/2011/08/using-digital-videos-images-and-audio.html

By using these tools, children who are both audio and visual learners will be engaged in the learning process. Videos are an interesting way to combine digital images, moving images and audio, both words and music. This can be used for all subjects. The teacher however, needs to ensure that they use these to supplement the lesson.

While writing in this blog I also looked at the strengths and weaknesses of using a PowerPoint. PowerPoint may not sound like the most exiting way to aid in teaching a subject, but when used well they can be engaging. Look at the following post which goes into more detail about the positive and negatives in using a PowerPoint: http://amydurman.blogspot.com/2011/08/using-powerpoints-in-classroom.html

PowerPoints can have videos embedded, as well as audio and images. When used well these can be useful in creating an engaging PowerPoint to help teach a lesson. They are also easy for the teacher to use as well as easy for the children to use themselves. Children may find them beneficial for creating their own presentations.   

I will now look at the reason behind why I think Connectivism is important in any discussion about using technology in the classroom. Connectivism plays a big role in today’s learning. It is the underlying learning theory that encompasses how we now learn, compared to how we used to learn. We no longer have to remember large amounts of information but need to know where and how to look for it. It also enables us to share information with everyone else. Therefore, it is more important that we know how to access information, then to simply have it in our heads, as we have this information at our finger tips. It is technology which has allowed us to access unlimited amounts of information at the press of a button and teaching children how to access this new information has become more important that it has ever been. This is supported by Siemans (2005), who states that “it is no longer possible to know everything, that it is more important to identify how and where to find knowledge than it is to know.”

Because of the availability of unlimited information, as teachers we need to teach children how to access the right information as plenty of the information out there is false. Children now need to learn how to access the information, and then tell the difference between information that they should use and information that is incorrect. Children also need to learn the importance of ethical issues on the internet as well as how to keep safe. These two things often go hand in hand. Some of the dangers are “stranger danger” (National Academy of Sciences, 2003) as well as harassment and bullying.

Through the writing of this blog I have investigated many different tools and participated in activities that helped me discover the different ways technology and e-learning can be used in the classroom. Many things were discovered, such as how PowerPoints, Wikis, Videos, Images and Audios can be used in the classroom. I also used different methods to explore the various ways that technological tools could be used.  As the use of technology in the classroom has always been a hotly contested debate, a major part of my blog was also dedicated to  discussing the positives and negatives of technology in the classroom, concluding that despite all the problems with its use in the classroom the positives far outweighed the negatives.

References

Siemen, G. (2004), Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, Retrieved from: http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

National Academy of Sciences (2003), Netsafe Kids: The Internet Today, Retrieved from: http://www.nap.edu/netsafekids/internet.html

Using PowerPoints in the Classroom

PowerPoints can be an effective method of presenting information to a class. Students live in a technological world and most talk the technological language, therefore it makes sense to use a technology such as the PowerPoint to speak to them in a language that they are probably familiar with. 

But while students of today are surrounded by technology, technological tools such as PowerPoints need to be used correctly or they will fail to engage the students.

PowerPoint presentations are designed to hold the students’ attention through video, graphics, music etc, and if done correctly they can achieve just that. But if such an educational tool means less interaction with the students then it has failed in its objective. Using PowerPoints too often or ignoring the students at the expense of what is up on the screen does not promote effective teaching or learning. Such presentations can confuse students particularly if there are too many graphics and images and not enough explanation. It is also difficult for students to concentrate on what is happening on the screen and what the teacher is saying. PowerPoints should only be used to support and enhance what the teacher is telling her or his students and should not be the centre of attention. The PowerPoint should also provide additional information to what the teacher is saying instead of the teacher reading exactly what is written on the screen.

In the primary school classroom PowerPoints can be useful as long as there are plenty of well labelled images to interest and inform students, but these need to be further explained by the teacher and the students should be encouraged to contribute to a discussion on the subject. The teacher needs to make plenty of eye contact with the students so that they do not feel ignored.

PowerPoint presentations that contain too much information can only overwhelm, confuse and bore an audience.  However, presentations that are used as an enhancement to what the teacher is saying and which contain plenty of interesting images to hold the students’ interests are always a useful tool in the classroom.

Using Digital Videos, Images and Audio in the Classroom

Students today live a digital world where such technologies as digital video, images and audio are all around them. The average household, and more importantly the workplace have embraced the digital media and so it would be remiss of the education system not to ensure that students are ready to face the challenges of the outside world on leaving school. Not only do students need to know how to use digital media, but such technologies in themselves can be a useful tool in making learning in the classroom en enjoyable experience for both students and educators.

Gone are the days when the classroom experience consisted of the teacher standing at the front of the classroom in front of a blackboard or whiteboard, a piece of chalk or marker pen their only tool. Thanks to the digital media there is now a range of different educational tools which, when used well, can add a new dimension to the classroom experience.

While many adults may not see the advantages of using such video-sharing websites as YouTube in the classroom, there is some very useful educational content to be found there. One only has to browse YouTube to find many interesting and beneficial clips which can be used in the classroom. These include old movie clips and documentaries which may be difficult to find elsewhere. Digital cameras are also a useful tool in the classroom making it easier to use images in reports and projects, adding photos to the school or class website or emailing photos and class updates to parents. Podcasts are also a great method of communication in the classroom allowing students to create audio files and download them to share with others. Podcasts are easy to produce and do not cost a lot of money to make. One of the biggest challenges teachers face is improving literacy and numeracy and technology can go part of the way to solving this problem with the growing number of literacy and numeracy computer programs available. Computers can never replace the teacher in the classroom but they can act as a tutor, assisting the teacher to do his or her job.

Unfortunately there are a few downsides to relying too heavily on technology in the classroom, particularly when not everyone is a technical expert. Technology is wonderful when it works just the way we want it to, but can be tedious and frustrating when it doesn’t, particularly perhaps for teachers who haven’t had a lot of technological experience. There is also the danger that teachers and students can rely too heavily on technology, not allowing students to think for themselves. This is of particular concern in relation to mathematics. Many people are also concerned that whereas teachers take into account emotional issues when dealing with children, digital tools do not and as a result some students will be disadvantaged.

While all of the arguments against the use of digital technology in the classroom are valid, I still feel that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Education plays a huge role in preparing students for the outside world and it is a fact of life that we live in a technological world. Technological tools in the classroom make learning more interesting and more fun, as well as giving students and teachers more access to information. Computers can never replace teachers in the classroom but unless education reflects the world in which we live, our education system would be failing our students miserably.

The Role of Wikis and Websites in the Classroom

For this activity, I looked at a wiki that I had previously made. To see this wiki click on the following link: https://sites.google.com/site/differentperspectiveswebquest/home

The webquest was created as an engaging tool to teach children about different perspectives  on how European Settlement affected Australia’s Indigenous population.

I have decided to use SWOT analysis as a thinking tool to look at using wikis as different perspectives. I looked at:

Strengths:

·        A website is a great way to engage children by reaching them through other media

·        Websites can be interactive, and many websites directed to students can have educational games.

·        Children can access new and up to date information.

·        They can develop IT skills which will be valuable to for future jobs.

·        Students can work together on school projects using a wiki. They can also have online penpals.

·        Websites can be used for research.

·         

Weaknesses:

·        Students need to be in front of a computer when following a task. This can be difficult as students do not always have access computers all the time.

·        Technology can break.

·        There are many distractions.

Opportunities:

·        Wikis can create further opportunities to spread information.

Threats:

·        When using websites, the teachers must be wary of children going to innapropriate sites

·        The teacher must also be careful about entering too much information about their students.

The thinking hats and mobile phones

For this activity, we had to look at whether mobile phones should be allowed in schools. We had to use de Bono’s thinking hats to see things from a different perspective. De Bono’s six thinking hats include the white hat, which covers the information or knowledge that needs to be known. Then there is the red hat which covers feelings, hunches and intuition. Next there is the black hat, which is judgement and why something may or may not work, then the yellow hat which asks for optimism, or in other words, the positives to using mobile phones in schools. The green hat is creativity, such as new possibilities and ideas, and finally the blue hat which manages the thinking process.

I found that using the thinking hats wiki for this activity was a great way to see everyone’s ideas and spread information. De Bono’s thinking hats are also a great way to force children to look at different perspectives when looking at an issue. It also forces the children to use different areas of their brain and therefore promotes higher order thinking.

Connectivism plays a role when it comes to the thinking hats. One thing that I have discovered is that connectivism plays a huge role for using technology to teach children. This is due to technology, the website in particular, being based around connectivism. The children can use de Blono’s hats as a way to connect.

This activity, through using de Bono’s Hats, uses Inductive Reasoning to allow students to infer unknown generalizations or principles from information or observations (Marzano, et al. 1997).

References

Arredondo, D. Blackburn, G. Brandt, R. Marzano, R. Moffet, C. Paynter, D. Pickering, D. Pollock, J. Whisler, J. (1997) Dimensions of Learning 2^nd Edition, McREL, Colarado.