Exhale, Shut Your Eyes, Slow Down and Be Still!

 

Welcome to my very first blog post (on a personal level).  I want to share something that God has been speaking to me about over the last few weeks. Are you ready?:)

What or who has got your attention?

In this busy lifestyle we live, I want to ask you:- what  or who has your attention? Is it something/someone that brings you fulfillment, replenishes your strength and renews your hope? Is it something/someone who is worthy of your attention, or does it/do they sap you dry and leave you feeling like a parched brook with no life or energy?

God has been gently reminding me during the last few weeks that He WANTS my attention. In the busyness of life, no matter where I'm at, He desires to know me more and more. It is the same with you. He wants your attention. Sometimes we just need to stop whatever it is that we are doing or are in the midst of and just exhale, shut our eyes , slow down, be still and give Him the attention He deserves.

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

Ever wondered why it seems like you cannot hear His voice or feel Him near ? Especially when you are so busy or seem to need Him the most? Maybe, just maybe you need to stop and shut your eyes to everything going on around you and just listen. Give Him the attention and wait for Him to speak to you.

Abit harsh?! Yes maybe, but you know what -  it is a hard truth that I have had to learn and re-learn over and over again. Our God, our Father, desires us and wants us to desire Him. He wants us to love Him, thirst after Him and draw close to Him. 

Psalm 42:1 says:

"As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You O, God"

 

Psalm 73:8 says:

 "But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, That I may declare all Your works"

For me personally,  worship music is the thing that just takes me to a place of total surrender and reckless abandonment in Him. He speaks so clearly to me, especially when I shut everything else out and just focus on Him. It is a choice to do this though.

When our attention and our eyes are upon Him, our attention is on His glory and grace, the things of earth grow dim. Take for instance a chandelier, a source of light. When we look at it, we see its beauty and it provides an incredible source of light for those in close proximity.

When we look at one light source, such as a chandelier, it is then hard to move our focus onto anything else. Our eyes have to readjust to the surroundings again.Let me encourage you to look to the light of the world. Give your attention to Him, let Him speak to you . Let Him be the centre of your world. When we put our focus on Him and give Him the attention everything else that was troubling us becomes dim in comparison.

I hope that you have been blessed by my very first blog post. Please feel free to follow me and add comments or ask questions. I look forward to joining with you all on this journey.
Shells xo

E-Learning Reflective Synopsis

E–Learning Reflective Synopsis

According to Prensky (2001), the increase in the use of technology by students in 21^st Century classrooms, means current educational professionals and systems are not fully equipped to teach these students effectively (Sharpe & Oliver, 2007). Educators need to embrace and implement technology in the classroom to provide learning experiences that ensure student success (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Mishra and Koehler(2006), state that many educators are trained in the specifics of a new computer program or digital tool but do not understand how to incorporate this new technology with content and pedagogy, as described in the TPACK Framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Similarly, educators who are digital immigrants, fail to comprehend how to enhance the learning of the digital natives in their classrooms (Prensky, 2001). Engaging in the use of digital tools whilst incorporating relevant learning theories and learning styles provides opportunities for student engagement and academic success. With the increase use of technologies legal, safety and ethical concerns such as bullying, copyright and codes of practice have also increased (CQU, 2011).  

As evidenced throughout this working blog, Information, Communication and Technologies (ICT’s) are advancing quicker than many educators can keep up with (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). For instance, having commenced study again after 7 years away from any educational institution, I had never designed a website, a wiki, used movie maker or jelly cam nor did I have any idea what an avatar was except that it was the title of a movie. Who knew that there were tools other than Powerpoint, which was familiar to me, like Prezi that added that different dimension to presenting information? Ed Studio, a Learning Place website, set up specifically for student teacher use, was an eye opener for this digital immigrant. Today’s technologically savvy students think and process information fundamentally differently than what those who went before them did (Prensky, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, 2001). With such a variety of different digital tools at educators disposal it can be exciting, daunting and time consuming (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) trying to figure out how to use these tools. Deciphering which tools to use (Sharpe & Oliver, 2007) to promote higher order thinking and learning for these students who speak an entirely new and different language (Prensky, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, 2001) may also present some challenges for educators.

Sharpe & Oliver(2007), suggest that the first step in choosing appropriate technologies is to know what technology is available. Once that has been determined the technology must then be integrated and combined with knowledge about teaching (Pedagogy) and knowledge about the topic being taught (Content), to ensure the knowledge about the technology is not deemed useless (Sharpe & Oliver, 2007).  Technologies need to be more than a ‘bolt on’ to already established curriculum design (Sharpe & Oliver, 2007). Rather, integrated learning experiences using technology should be an integral part of scaffolded teaching and learning experiences (Sharpe & Oliver, 2007). Taking into consideration students learning styles and learning theories (pedagogy) can help to ensure the correct digital tools are used to teach the correct subject matter (content). All four digital tools discussed below are perfect examples of the TPACK framework (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) in use and incorporate Bloom’s Taxonomy by providing the learner with an opportunity to acquire new skills, knowledge and attitudes (Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains, n.d)

 Digital Tool 1 – Online Tools

All online tools including blogs, websites and wikis are effective tools that can be easily incorporated into everyday classrooms. Being able to scaffold lessons, embed videos and music, upload documents and information caters for a diverse range of learners. Online tools promote creativity, encourage connecting with other students and provides opportunities for students to move into higher order thinking.  Online tools such as the Back to the Future Wiki and the Mobile Phone Wiki  considered the learning styles of each student and provided a scaffolded constructivist approach to learning. Online Tools are good for all Learner types. The Mobile Phone Wiki suited the global learner who could look at the task as a whole and the sequential learner who would prefer to go through it step by step with the scaffold provided. Online Tools encourage the participation of the sensing and intuitive learner and enticing the visual and verbal learner whilst engaging  the active and reflective learner (Felder & Solomon, n.d). The benefits of online tools are that they are  easily accessed anywhere there is internet, so can be used at school or at home giving the student more options to engage with their learning journey.  The use of DeBonos 6 Thinking Hat Strategy as a scaffold in the Mobile Phone Wiki was very constructivist and connectivist in its design, enabling learners to construct their own learning whilst connecting and collaborating with other learners (CQUniversity Australia, 2012). The only ethical or privacy concern that was evident with the Wiki was the ability for each learner to change information or contributions submitted by other learners.  Personal saftey is not so much of an issue with online tools as they can be password protected and set for private access only, ensuring that only those you want to be a part of the wiki are. These online tools could be very beneficial for use in the classroom across all curriculum areas but students would need to be reminded of correct ethical and legal behaviour.   

Digital Tool 2 – Visual and Audio Tools

Multimedia tools are a primary source of information in the digital age (CQUniversity Australia, 2012) and can be seen anywhere on the internet, including sites such as Facebook, Youtube and most websites you visit. There are a diverse range of programs that allow you to work with this type of digital tool. Some can be downloaded free to a computer ensuring safer practices such as Jelly Cam, photostory and Audacity. Some tools may be a software program already on most computers like Movie Maker or Powerpoint; whilst others are only accessible online - flickr, wordle and many more.  Those that are accessible online do require more saftey measures to be put in place. Whilst they require an individual login and password it is online and some sites cannot be made private. This is the potentially a drawback to using the online tools but if educators observe and explain the importance of cyber saftey and stranger danger, then there is no reason the online tools cannot be utilised to enhance the learning of students. It is important to consider the reason behind the use of Mulimedia in teaching (CQUniversity Australia, 2012). It is not entirely to make the subject look appealing although this is an advantage. Mulimedia tools can be used to showcase students at work using photos and music (see an example of my completed video using Movie Maker), inform students of necessary information regarding a specific subject matter and allow students to be creative through a variety of ways. Again this digital tool can be engaged with most learner types if used appropriately. Teachers can present learning materials in a way that engages thinking, influences feelings and supports skill development (Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains, n.d; CQUniversity Australia, 2012).   

Digital Tool 3 – Presentation Tools

Presentation tools including, powerpoint, prezi (a zooming presentation tool) and glogster(an online scrapbooking tool), enable interactivity and are multimodal sources (CQUniversity Australia, 2012) meaning that text, audio, images and movies can be incorporated in the use of these tools. This opens up many opportunities for students to narrate stories, edit their own information, take pictures and be creative with how they present it to their audience. Presentation tools are more than an accompaniment to oral presentations. Powerpoint and Prezi are easy to use and easy to access. Powerpoint, however is a software package on the computer and Prezi is an online tool which everyone can see. Again the saftey, legal and etchical concerns must be addressed when using Prezi or Glogster as an online tool. When I used Prezi, I must admit I found it difficult at first, but with some education in its use it would definitely be a tool to use in the classroom both as a teaching tool and as a student tool. Prezi lends itself more to the global learner (Felder & Solomon, n.d) as it shows you the bigger picture and then breaks it down into smaller bite size pieces. Powerpoint is more for the sequential, linear learner. Presentation tools are engaging, fun to use and definitely have their place in the classroom.  

Digital Tool 4 –Animation and Simulation Tools

With shows like Wallace and Grommett, Shaun the Sheep and Pokemon, incorporating the use of digital and clay animaltion, the use of digital tools such as these, avatars and simulations can help students to engage in fresh and exciting ways. There are many programs available such as Voki, Crazy Talk animation, Common Craft Style animation etc, that can be used by students as young as prep age. Here is an example of what my 6 year old created when using Voki. She took ownership of this, was highly engaged and was delighted with the final product. This speaks volumes to me as to how effective something like a Voki would be in a classroom. Students who don’t want to use their own voice can type in text to show what they want their character to say. Programs like Zooburst that enable students to create their own pop up book are highly engaging and promote the use of literacy skills, build confidence in speaking skills and help students to design their own learning. Students can collaborate together or work individually to produce unique art forms that can be presented to other year levels. Again considering the safe, legal and ethical aspects of using digital tools is crucial.

For e-learning to be effective in the 21^st century classroom, educators must embrace higher order thinking frameworks like TPACK and rethink pedagogy and content to see how it can be integrated with technology to form learning experiences that ensure the success of students (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). Sharpe and Oliver(2007), state that e-learning is more than being trained in the latest software or program and has everything to do with course design. If e-learning is to enhance the learning journey of each individual learner then digital tools need to be used a part of the course design (Sharpe & Oliver, 2007). Digital tools have significant ability to engage those who are disengaged, build confidence in those who lack confidence and to encourage the ability in each student to succeed.  Prensky (2005) says this: “All students we teach have something in their lives that’s really engaging – something that they do and that they are good at, something that has an engaging creative component to it”. Therefore, it is necessary to engage students using technology they can be creative with.

References

CQUniversity Australia. (2012). FAHE 11001 - Managing E-Learning - A Brief Overview of Learning Theory. Rockhampton, QLD: Author.

CQUniversity Australia. (2012). FAHE 11001: Managing E-Learning - Group 3 Tools. Rockhampton.

CQUniversity Australia. (2012). FAHE: 11001 - Managing E-Learning: Images. Rockhampton.

CQUniversity Australia. (2012). Managing E-Learning - Overview Week 4. Rockhampton.

Felder, R. M., & Solomon, B. A. (n.d). Learning Styles and Strategies. Retrieved from North Caroliner State University: Felder and Solomon - Learning Styles and Strategies: http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge. Teachers College Record, 1017-1054.

Blooms Taxonomy of Learning Domains. (n.d). Retrieved from The Performance Juxtaposition Site: http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html#cognitive

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 1-6.

Prensky, M. (2005). Engage Me or Enrage Me - What Today's Learners Demand. Educase Review, 60-62.

Sharpe, R., & Oliver, M. (2007). Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age - Designing Courses for e-learning. New York: Routledge.

I UPLOADED MY MOVIE MAKER VIDEO! WAHOO:)

WAHOO!

After a lot of effort I cannot believe that I have problem solved how to upload the video that was discussed in this post: Movie Maker - Digital Video - Digital Tool #2

Here is how I did it: -

1. Save it at a custom setting of 320 x 240. I found out tthat to upload it to blogger that it needed to be a smaller size which I found on of Jacqui's blog. The power of networking. 
2. Upload it to Youtube ( which took 7 minutes instead of 7 hours). Made it a private movie which is great!
3. Embed file into blogger page!
4. Adjust sizing to fit page better.

Here is the finished product: -

Jelly Cam Video - Digital Tool #2

Wow! I can't believe I actually got this up on my blog! I created this 2 weeks ago and for some reason it wouldn't upload to the blog editing page. (Please note that it is my daughter and I in the video)

So given my never give up nature or some may say stubborn nature; I thought today I would just go back and see if I could do it one last time before finalising my synopsis and what do you know, it worked. Turns out that I hadn't actually saved it as a proper video... Oh dear :) I had to laugh:) I think that this showed a little of Bloom's Taxonomy's higher order thinking!

Once I had downloaded Jellycam v4 from the internet I found it to be such an easy digital tool to use. As you can see Minnie (who is two and a half years old)had a ball doing it too! Which exemplifies to me how much students would engage with this type of program in the classroom. I can see so much potential with this program. I didn't use it to the best of its abilites due to time, but I know that you can add text, audio, pictures and music files as well. Not only is it easy to use but its affordances are many! I cannot think of any negative attributes of this product at this stage of my novice use.

Plus

• Easy to use
• Can be dowloaded at no cost from the internet
• Can use a laptop with a built in webcam or use a PC with an attached webcam
• Lower and Upper Primary students could use this effectively in any subject
• Fun to use
• You can add it to a website or wiki or blog quite easily(when you know how)
• Safe to use in school contexts
• I would use it in my classrooms

Minus

• I really cannot think of any from my short play with the program.

Interesting

• Can reverse the images you create

TPACK Framework

The TPACK Framework is one in which  Technology, Pedagogy and Content Knowledge are combined to promote the most effective learning experiences for each student.

As we can see in the diagram however, effective teaching can also occur when two or more of these teaching elements are combined. For example, Pedagogical Content, Technological Content, and Technological Pedagogy.

The TPACK Framework reminds educators that technology is not simply something to bolt on to learning experiences (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).
"Quality teaching requires developing a nuanced understanding of the complex relationships between technology, content and pedagogy, and using this understadning to develop appropriate, context speicific strategies and representations" (Mishra & Koehler, 2006).

I believe that each element is important to the learning of our students and when used in such a way as the TPACK framework suggests it will see more success in the engagement of students and ultimately ensure student success.

Working with Images using Powerpoint - Digital Tool #2

During the Week 4 MeL lecture we learnt how to combine two photos together to create a totally different photo. Using Powerpoint! This was a shock to me because I had only ever known Powerpoint to be a tool that you would use for presenting information. But using the program for editing pictures to make a whole new picture was so much fun and so simple! Simple enough for a computer novice to use and simple enough for a younger prep student to use too!

Lego men walking on water!

This is just one example that took no more than 5 minutes to create. Students could use this program in any curriculum area to enhance creativity and it could be used to promote the use of ICT's in the classroom. This would be the perfect program to encourage those students who  might not neccessarily like using technology as it is fun and easy to use.

This program has a lot of pluses and interesting features and hard to fault. I do not have any hesitation in using this in the classroom. Part of that may be due to the fact that I already know how to use it. Just goes to prove that when you know how to use something and use it well you are more likely to implement the use of it in the classroom.

LOOK MUMMY! Boats

All photos used have been taking by Shelley Kerr. (c) Shelley Kerr 2012



 

Shells First Prezi! - Digital Tool #3

Well I have just experienced Prezi for the very first time! As you can see:

http://prezi.com/cib_n5g79p-v/shells-first-prezi/

I felt quite like a Digital Immigrant than a  Digital Native when using this for the first time. I must admit that I nearly gave up because I really did not know what I was doing. This enlightened me to the fact that so many times our students feel the same way. They want to just give up because they have NO idea of what to do or how to do, something new.

This is where our roles as educators is significantly important. Trying new things is crucial to our learning and our personal growth. It teaches us persistence and courage. It shows us that it is ok to not succeed straight away and that having a go is what it is all about. So I persisted and came up with this very basic Prezi.

Here is a PMI on the features and use of prezi:



Lily's Voki - Proof a 6 year old can do it! - Digital Tool #4

Just clowning around :D

I had to include this in my blog! Lily my 6 year old saw me playing with Voki one night and asked if she could have a go. So I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for me to see how easy  or hard it was for a younger age student to use something like Voki and create their own Avatar.

Lily was quite competent with the design process. Even to the point where I tried to do something for her at one point and she was quite determined and insistent that she do it herself. This just goes to prove that anyone at primary school when given the opportunity to use something like Voki can excel. They just need to be given the opportunity to try! Lily chose a clown because they are currently making up a circus show in her Grade 1 class.

ADVANTAGES OF USING A VOKI!

• Password protected with individual login
• Creative
• Students can use voice or text to make the character speak
• Can choose own characters and backgrounds
• Simply and easy to use no matter what age the student
• Engaging and fun
• Can be used in any subject area
• Can be embedded

DISADVANTAGES

• Some younger students would need some guidance
• Would take a while to set up individual logins for each student

Movie Maker - Digital Video - Digital Tool #2

Movie Maker was simple and easy to use for my personal use. For the purpose of this blog post and the big size of the saved file I have just shown some screen shots of the movie. The music used was 'I believe' from Fantasia, which of course you cannot hear because the movie hasn't been uploaded. I had a lot of fun creating this, especially using photos of my own children (and yes I did ask them for permission).


What are the affordances for use in the classroom and what sort of things can Movie Maker do?

I think it would be easy to utilise Movie Maker specifically in the classroom as it is a Windows program and most school computers have windows on them. If students have taken photos (see below) they can use those to create a movie with ease and can add music to it for added effect. There is the added advantage of being able to add text features (see above); for example title, caption, credits and so on. The program also allows for animations, transitions and effects to be added to each slide, which is very similar to Powerpoint.

These photos could have text added to them to explain what they are.

Students could also use voice overs to explain what is happening.

Lily (aged 6) took this photo (above)

All photos used with permission from my children (c)



Potential Problems

The only problem that I can see is that once the file is saved it is quite big so embedding it into websites is time consuming. I have yet to figure out how to make this into a smaller file without losing quality of images. I have even saved it as a smaller version and it still takes a while to load. I am also trying to upload it to youtube to see if I can embed it that way, but it still seems to take a long time to do. I like the youtube access as you can nominate public or private. It means that the whole world wouldn't be able to see the movie of my kids. I just tried to upload it via youtube and it was going to take 7 hrs! Wow! There has to be an easier way! Does anybody have any answers on how to fix the size of the movie?

What learning does this digital tool support?

Movie maker would support any creative writing exercise or to use as a creative report post-excursion or post research project. Movie Maker or programs like Photo story can be effective tool to enhance digital use in the classroom in a fun and engaging way. I do think that it would lend itself more to the upper primary age group if it was to be a more unguided task.

Below is a SWOT analysis for using this tool in the classroom!

I take my hat off to you! - Mobile Phone Wiki Reflection

Last week I completed the Mobile Phone Wiki using the provided scaffold of De Bono's 6 Thinking Hat strategy. This is the first time that I have used a wiki for collaborative discussion and I have to say I found it appealing.

Image sourced from Google images

This strategy is very much constructivist in its design. Constructivism allows learners to construct their own reality or interpret it based on own experiences. It focuses on the learning being founded upon social interactions within a learning community.

(Jonaasson,1991, cited in Mergel, 1998) After thinking about it some more, I also realised that this approach also exhibits some of the connectivist theory, as it is an online networking and collaboration of learning.

Vygotsky suggest that social interaction largely influences learning and just as importantly uses scaffolding in the learning process. This wiki definitely encapsulates this significantly. The use of De Bono's strategy to scaffold some higher order thinking and incorporating Bloom's Taxonomy was ingenious. I am beginning to understand that scaffolding is a smart way to ensure each learner can contribute successfully with a little guidance whilst allowing a lot of personal creativity and individual thought.

On a personal level, it was interesting to see how my thought process changed as I imagined myself wearing each different coloured hat [Literally, as I am a visual learner :)]. Some hats were easier to wear than others. I also found it hard at times to not just repeat what other's had said or rehash their thoughts into my own words. I suppose that this is a potential problem with using a wiki like this, expecially with children in schools. Not that I, or the students would intentionally copy someones work but when you read other's thoughts sometimes they inadvertently can become your own. I think that as we go from a lower order way of thinking to a higher order thinking that this would not happen. Thoughts anyone?

The use of a wiki like this one provides a safe and secure way to connect with students as you can  make it an invite only site. For schools this is essential for the protection of students and teachers alike. It allows students to be creative, innovative, and it creates a sense of community through positive social interaction. Scaffolding provides a guideline for those who  may struggle to understand the subject or the task they are meant to do whilst giving freedom to respond accordingly.

Below I have posted a youtube video from Edward De Bono on his Six Thinking Hat stratgey (retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3ew6h5nHcc. )

Hope you like it:)  

Knowledge becomes Practical - WAHOO!

(I cannot believe that this is the first chance I have had to blog since Friday).

I am so excited! 

Last week in our lecture Angelina took us through the safe and legal practices that a teacher should be aware of and practice, when it comes to online learning.

We also looked at some different blogs/websites through the Learning Places' EdStudio!

I am excited because when I went to the school on Friday the class I was with had some computer lab time. The teacher had just designed a new Edstudio for  her class and was showing them for the very first time. Her class is Grade 1. I cannot believe the timing of this. I was so excited about it, which in turn inspired the teacher too!

What I liked so much about the Edstudio and Learning Place is that it is extremely secure with each individual child being able to log on with their own user name and password. They are then able to create their own user profile through avatars. It was the practical applilcation of what I had been taught on Wednesday ( talk about Bloom's Taxonomy or what?) Have a look at this quick PMI chart I did up!

I was inspired to see it in action and in a grade 1 class. After sharing all of this with the classroom teacher, she said that this is still a new thing in the school and maybe only 5 of the teachers actually use it for learning. No surprise that most of those 5, were teachers of upper primary.

So why do teachers shy away from using things like the Learning Place and EdStudio when kids are obviously engaging with it and excited to learn using this kind of digital tool? Fear of the unkonwn? Maybe teachers that aren't using it are digital immigrants and not native to the use of Technology. I'm not sure. But I am going to try my very best to ensure that ICT's like this are part of my students learning journey for sure!

I have always had a passion to teach others new things but I left school on Friday with a knowledge deep within that teaching was what I was born to do! All through a little 30 minute lesson in the computer lab. Who would have thought?

Websites and the Classroom - Digital Tool #1

This year saw me head back to Uni after a 7 year break and to say that things had changed significantly is an understatement! The increased use of ICT's in the classroom especially seems to stand out more with the use of digital tools being part of our assessment tasks etc. Below are two examples of the websites I have created in Semester 1  - one for my design project in Technology and the other,  is one I designed for our group project in BLP(Building Learning Partnerships).

I definitely believe that Websites that are designed by the teacher, have a place in the Classroom. Not only can you make them interactive with links to specific sites that you want the students to go to but they also provide that added "cool" factor to an ordinarily "boring" lesson! This is one of the reasons that I love ICT's as a whole to be used in the classroom. They also add that extra dimension to learning by helping to provide scaffolding and differentiation to the way students learn their knowledge.

While they may take some time to build, once they are created they are easy to edit and keep updated. I would definitely use Websites in my classroom! Would you?

http://shells2311.wix.com/playtime

http://shells2311.wix.com/teacherresilience101

Wiki's for the Classroom - Digital Tool #1

Hello everyone!

Well I noticed on our week 3 email that the 3 digital tools that we need to use and discuss are, blogs, websites and wikis. It said to create your own wiki to show you know what to do and I thought perfect, I can use the one I created for my Technology subject last term. Well I went to the page and it said that the subscription had expired. I had issues with this just before I handed in this assignment last term and the people at Wiki assured me that it was fixed, but no it iwasn't. I was a little annoyed/frustrated as I had put a lot of hard work into this last term and would have loved to use it in the classroom at some point as I find wiki's to be ingenious.. Well suffice to say, I did something about it. I emailed the help team at wiki AGAIN and the problem was fixed in two days! It may have been my error with the type of wiki I chose to build so my bad.

Originally I posted the link to the wiki that was "broken" but now it has been fixed WAHOO! Anyway below is a copy of the wiki I created with the link to the page. If I was wearing my RED hat(De Bono) I would have had to say that I was totally dejected when I found out it wan't working. But now I am estatic that I could problem solve and have it fixed. There were some slight formatting issues with the solution but I have worked that out now too.. YEY!!!!!! Such is life when using technology.

Digital Resource – Back to the Future wikispace

The digital resource I created was a wikispace.

The first lesson at Destination 1 was totally student directed through an inquiry model.
The following four lessons use the wikispace as a guide and visual clues. For these four lessons it is used as a teacher directed resource.
You can access it on the following link: - http://designchallenge2012.wikispaces.com/
Here is a screen shot of the home page to ensure you get to the correct page (Please note that the picture no the left is no longer there):-

REFLECTION ON WIKI's as a Digital Tool

I enjoyed designing this Wiki space. It was the first one I had ever designed, but as I had already designed two websites through Wix website builder and kept my workplace website up to date I was familiar withh the process of creating wikis.

I think that wikis are a great tool, as you could hold discussions with the students and it is password protected as there is the ability for each student to have their own log in name. It could be accessed anywhere there was internet. I could embed photos or you tube clips, word documents or pdf's. It is such a great tool and I defintiely think that it could be an invaluable tool in the classroom and for homework activities. Wikis also allow for scaffolding of lessons and the use of creativity. They are a great tool to implement Bloom's Taxonomy and higher order thinking.

I wonder if I will have to create another wiki now or if this will be enough to prove I know what I am doing? Only time will tell I guess:)

Signing off

Misunderstanding Learning Theories

Image sourced from Google images

I had to post this quick blog because in my blog Learning Thoeries, styles and ICT's,
I wrote some things on Learning Theories without having the correct understanding of each theory. I had totally misunderstood them.
(I guess that is what happens when you recover from being sick. Sorry everyone)

I still think I lend to behaviourism, (because it was the way I was taught) but not neccessarily connectivism. Probably more constructivism than connectivism.

Ahhhhh too many ism's.... :)

I hope that I can understand this more and before I do the quiz.

Has anyone got any tips on how to actually remember what each one is all about?

I'd be so apppreciative to hear them!

*Photo sourced from google images

Immigrant or Native: What are you?

I have just finished reading an incredible article by Marc Prensky, "Digital Natives or Digital Immigrants". Needless to say I was challenged incredibly and surprised a little to discover that I am more immigrant than native.

So what does that actually mean? According to Prensky(2001) digital natives are those who were born into the culture of digital technology world and speak its native language. Immigrants are those of us who weren't born into this era but are fascinated by it and have even adopted and live by some of the culture. Immigrants learn to adapt to their environment but they to some degree always keep aspects of their accent. 

Take a look at these statistics from 2001 ( so no doubt would have increased by now),

The average college grad would have spent:

•  5 000hrs of their life reading
• 10 000 hrs playing video games and
• 20 000hrs watching tv

Is it no wonder then, that these kids, these digital natives who have been born into this digital age are not embracing the immigrant way of teaching?  As prensky states:

"Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.... digital immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language, are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language"

This hit home for me because when I did a self inventory I noticed that my methods in the classroom whilst trying to use the native digital language of my students may be outdated and in need of improvement. I will be so much more aware as I head back into the classroom next year. It is time to rethink methods and even content to ensure that these digital  natives that will be entrusted to my educational care are looked after and educated appropriately... I will have to change, not my learners. It will be a challenge but I am up to it! Are you?

Voki and Me - Digital Tool #4

Wow! I did it! I actually created a voki! Wahoooooooooo:)

After realising that there were only certain characters I could use that weren't dedicated to teachers/classrooms I actuall  managed to create a voki.

Then I had to decide what to say:) LOL

Oh dear!

Well as my Voki said I was going to share some of my digital trials and triumphs with you.

To be honest I am a problem solver so whenever I have a go at something for the first time, I do it until I figure it out.

I have absolutely loved using all these new digital tools for the first time and I just know that I can use them somehow in the classroom when I get there! My favourite would have to be Wordle and just even blogging itself!

The trial so far has actually been using flickr to get the letters spelt out on tiles. It took me a while to realise that I had to create yet another account to use this program. I have to say actually that is one of the things about this e-Learning is that all the new tools we have require usernames and passwords. I just hope I don't forget them all:)

How about you? What has been your trial/s or triumph/s so far?

I would love to hear all about it soon!

Signing off again
Shells

Learning Theories, Styles and ICT's

Each learner is different in how they best learn,  as is each teacher in the way they manage the learning of their students. Understanding the difference between learning styles not only for each of my learners but also for myself is important. This is why participating in the Learning Style questionaire (Felder and Silverman) as well as the Multiple intelligences questionaire  (Birmingham Grid for Learning) was invaluable.

Below are my results:-

It is good to see that both of these test results align with each other:) I am more a sequential and visual learner according to Fielder and Silverman and it is represented similarily in the MI test as well. How did everybody else go?

Performing these tests confirmed my understanding even more about the neccessity of profiling my learner. For how my students best learn may not neccessarily be how I teach but that is where differentiation in teaching methods need to come into play. It also means that I cannot expect Joey who is a visual learner to learn the same way that Robbie does as a verbal learner. Or a global learner to learn the same way as a sequential learner learns etc.

Looking at the 4 different Learning Theories: Behaviourism, Cognitive Constructivism, Social Constructivism and Connectivism clearly reiterates that those with particular learning styles will more than likely suit a theory of learning better. When I take a look at myself I can see how the structure of Behaviourism and Connectivism suit me the most. I am not one for working in groups but will do it if I am required to. I prefer to have structure and know where I am headed, I work better with visual clues and applying knowledge with my hands etc.

It is taking this understanding and applying it in the classroom with EACH learner!

As we move into a more digital age the question is this: Is there place for each of these learning theories in the classroom? It makes sense that the Connectivisim theory would be successful in its use of ICT's of course. However, I think that each theory has its merits, as they correlate to particular learning styles or intellligences and I think that there is a  definite place for them when used appropriately.  

Thought of the day:-

Just as we differentiate curriculum to suit learners abilities we must differentiate teaching methods to suit learning styles.

Chat soon,


       

The ABC's of Wordle and Me!

Good Morning everyone!

Well today is a brand new day and I would usually be arriving in Noosa right now for my first lecture but alas I am stuck at home recovering from a bout of tonsilitis!

So rather than let it get the best of me, I have embraced the opportunity to catch up on some required yet highly wanted blogging time.

As you can see to the left, I have attempted to use Wordle. I think it is an innovative and exciting way to highlight key words and ideas from a stock standard black and white text.

Who can guess what text I used from our Week 1 engagement activities?

I am liking the colours I chose for the words but am not quite sure about the white background... Oh well, I guess I will just need to practice a little more. Starting small!

I have to say that it did take me a while to figure out where to paste the info to get the picture up! I worked it out though - YIPEE!

You just go to the HTML button when you are editing your blog and paste all the info (code) given to you (from wordle) right there. 

The code will look similar to this:
<a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5494001/learning_theory_2" title="Wordle: learning theory 2"><img src="http://www.wordle.net/thumb/wrdl/5494001/learning_theory_2" alt="Wordle: learning theory 2" style="padding:4px;border:1px solid #ddd"></a>

Then when you go back to your 'compose' page you should notice that the wordle you have created should be on your screen! You can preview it too by just hitting the preview button on the top right hand corner when you are back in the composing page:)

So my ABC's when using Worlde are:

Photo sourced from Google images

A - Attempt something new - Have a go
B - Begin with some simple text
C - Choose some different fonts and colours.

Have a little play and see what you can come up with!

Well I am about to do some reading from Week 1, so stay tuned for another blog entry real soon.

Cheers everyone:)
Shells

Photo sourced from Facebook.

Why hello there!

Welcome to my first ever blog:-)

This blog was designed as part of the assessment for my Bachelor of Learning Management Course at CQ University.

I have for a few years now, dabbled with the thought of starting a blog but have hesitated to begin due to fear of the unknown:-)

Yesterday I conquered that fear with (to my surprise) ease and excitement. I cannot wait to learn how to do even more and share my trials and triumphs along the way.

With the vast array of technology that is available today, using a web tool like blogger was easier than anticipated. Sometimes all we have to do is have a go, believe in ourselves and if we don't know what to do, partner with others and enjoy the journey together.

I enjoyed helping to create this blog alongside another student - doing it together made it even more fun!

Stay tuned for my next post - Learning Theories and ICT's.

Shells