Unfortunately I was unable to attend the workshop this week so I had a good look at the readings that Jason set for us this week.
The one I found most interesting was the 2010 Horizon Report. It was quite astounding to see just how close some of these amazing technologies are to being an everyday component of our classrooms - its very exciting! This Report not only provided an in-depth insight into the technologies but how they can and will be implemented into various areas of the curriculum.
I chose a couple of technologies from the Report that I was most interested in to discuss in my blog this week. They are Cloud Computing, Game-Based Learning and Augmented Reality. The time-to-adoption of these three technologies vary from one or less years, to four to five years - but its never too early to start thinking about the potential role they could play in our own classrooms.
Cloud Computing -
I have already started familiarising myself with this technology, and am currently using Google Documents to collaboratively work on a group assignment. Cloud computing paves the way for endless opportunities for students in remote communities all over the world that have limited access to resources and limited opportunity for collaborative-based learning. Many schools in the U.S. have already embraced this technology and are using it effectively in several key learning areas. In English, students are creating, editing and reviewing each other's writing assignments whilst in History, teachers are using mapping tools to create custom maps of historic battles and events. The possibilities for this technology really are endless and I can't wait to explore it further in my own classroom.
Game-Based Learning -
This technology is predicted to take off within the next 2-3 years. To a certain degree, this technology is already being implemented in many learning environments but educators are yet to discover the true potential of game-based learning. Non-digital games have been around for decades in the classroom and digital games have been gaining popularity in recent times due to their educational features. However, the category of game-based learning that is yet to be widely implemented or explored in schools is collaborative, open-ended, challenge-based games. It is through this technology that researchers believe students will effectively learn to problem solve and construct knowledge through challenging and rewarding games. Some schools around the world are already implementing these types of games such as World of Warcraft - where students are taught skills in areas such as communication, online safety, mathematics and leadership.
Augmented Reality -
Although the concept of augmented reality has been around for quite a lot of years, it is only with the development of widespread technologies such as Smart Phones, IPods and IPads that we are starting to see more of this technology used in various contexts. The 2010 Horizon Report states that "Augmented Reality has strong potential for powerful and contextual learning experiences" and this potential will be put into more practice over the next 4-5 years. Across the curriculum, this technology has potential to be used in History (model objects so that students can envision how things would have looked in past era's), Science (turning a mobile device into a portable planetarium where students can explore the universe), and Language Arts (creating costumes and then became the characters by acting out the play in front of a camera).
These are just a few of the technologies that I am really interested in and that I believe over the next 5 years will be essential tools in providing rich and diverse learning experiences.
Friday, 25 March 2011
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
Week 3
I really enjoyed the workshop on Monday, especially chatting via Skype to the Yr 2 Gems. It was amazing to see what Amanda was achieving with the children technologically. To see seven and eight year old children using blogs to communicate with each other was really inspiring and has definitely motivated me to implement some exciting methods of ICT in my prac classroom.
I've already designed a website that I plan to use (pending the permission of my classroom teacher) and also a class blog where parents and students can all communicate with each other and myself in regards to class tasks and events.
It's a real eye-opener to see how far technology in education has come in just a few years, and how far technology itself has come since the computers first came out. Bork, A. (1980) discussed the importance of developing new types of technology to assist children in their education. Research back in the 80's was showing that lectures as a means of educating was not sufficient in motivating students. Bork's article demonstrated that without the use of technology the classroom, students are not learning how to scaffold problems but merely given the solution. The vision of educators even back three decades ago, is one that many teachers still see today, and that is that we can "create realms of experience with the hope of enriching the formal learning environment'.
I feel that in order to effectively cater for the range of students we're going to have in our classroom, we need to adapt to the learning styles and individual needs of each student, a point that Bork (2003) makes in an article written twenty three years after his work referred to above. I think one of the biggest challenges we as teachers are going to face is adjusting our teaching approach constantly and consistently to meet the unique needs and learning characteristics of each child in our classroom. One thing however, that will remain constant in most to all of the students, is their ability to use and access various aspects of technology which paves the way for endless teaching and learning opportunities.
I've already designed a website that I plan to use (pending the permission of my classroom teacher) and also a class blog where parents and students can all communicate with each other and myself in regards to class tasks and events.
It's a real eye-opener to see how far technology in education has come in just a few years, and how far technology itself has come since the computers first came out. Bork, A. (1980) discussed the importance of developing new types of technology to assist children in their education. Research back in the 80's was showing that lectures as a means of educating was not sufficient in motivating students. Bork's article demonstrated that without the use of technology the classroom, students are not learning how to scaffold problems but merely given the solution. The vision of educators even back three decades ago, is one that many teachers still see today, and that is that we can "create realms of experience with the hope of enriching the formal learning environment'.
I feel that in order to effectively cater for the range of students we're going to have in our classroom, we need to adapt to the learning styles and individual needs of each student, a point that Bork (2003) makes in an article written twenty three years after his work referred to above. I think one of the biggest challenges we as teachers are going to face is adjusting our teaching approach constantly and consistently to meet the unique needs and learning characteristics of each child in our classroom. One thing however, that will remain constant in most to all of the students, is their ability to use and access various aspects of technology which paves the way for endless teaching and learning opportunities.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Week 2
This week's readings covered some really interesting aspects of ICT integration and the digital generation.
The concept of TPACK or Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, as explored in the first reading for this week, emphasises the importance of being flexible in the planning and teaching process in order to effectively allow for the interaction of these three bodies of knowledge (Koehler, M.J., and Mishra, P., 2009). The article states that there is no correct way for integrating ICT into the classroom, the structure and design of the integration is influenced by individual classroom contexts. One of the many challenges faced by teachers today is the vast differences recognised between traditional technologies and digital technologies, with the latter being multifaceted, rapidly changing as well as opaque.
An issue that many teachers face in classrooms today is the contrast between the digital immigrants that are often the ones teaching the class, and the digital natives that are the students in the classroom, that have grown up with a rich array of technology in many areas of their life. The article titled "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" by Prensky (2001) addressed this issue, stating that teachers are struggling to educate students using a language that is becoming increasingly outdated and foreign to the young generation. Prensky (2001) puts forward the idea that using traditional, linear forms of teaching may actually damage the brains of children that have been developed through technology exposure web processes.
The other readings for this week put forward valuable ideas and concepts from ICT teaching strategies aimed at enhancing student thinking and reflection (Henderson, M. 2008), to the multifaceted and multicultural social opportunities that ICT brings (Thrupp, R. 2008), to the high levels of cognitive engagement resulting from interactions with computer games (Henderson et al. 2008). Beverly Head's article titled "Generation Cut and Paste" (2008) shone a different light on ICT integration, exploring the idea that with new and different classroom strategies could lead to students forgetting or never learning to actually "use, synthesise, process, incorporate and retain information". She accentuates the importance of teaching these important skills as students are accessing the information. Head (2008) also states that teachers must not lose sight of the significance of students learning to design, create and express themselves through various means.
The readings for this week as well as our workshop on Monday further developed my knowledge and understanding of ICT and how it is going to, not only benefit me as a future teacher, but the students in my technologically rich classroom.
The concept of TPACK or Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge, as explored in the first reading for this week, emphasises the importance of being flexible in the planning and teaching process in order to effectively allow for the interaction of these three bodies of knowledge (Koehler, M.J., and Mishra, P., 2009). The article states that there is no correct way for integrating ICT into the classroom, the structure and design of the integration is influenced by individual classroom contexts. One of the many challenges faced by teachers today is the vast differences recognised between traditional technologies and digital technologies, with the latter being multifaceted, rapidly changing as well as opaque.
An issue that many teachers face in classrooms today is the contrast between the digital immigrants that are often the ones teaching the class, and the digital natives that are the students in the classroom, that have grown up with a rich array of technology in many areas of their life. The article titled "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" by Prensky (2001) addressed this issue, stating that teachers are struggling to educate students using a language that is becoming increasingly outdated and foreign to the young generation. Prensky (2001) puts forward the idea that using traditional, linear forms of teaching may actually damage the brains of children that have been developed through technology exposure web processes.
The other readings for this week put forward valuable ideas and concepts from ICT teaching strategies aimed at enhancing student thinking and reflection (Henderson, M. 2008), to the multifaceted and multicultural social opportunities that ICT brings (Thrupp, R. 2008), to the high levels of cognitive engagement resulting from interactions with computer games (Henderson et al. 2008). Beverly Head's article titled "Generation Cut and Paste" (2008) shone a different light on ICT integration, exploring the idea that with new and different classroom strategies could lead to students forgetting or never learning to actually "use, synthesise, process, incorporate and retain information". She accentuates the importance of teaching these important skills as students are accessing the information. Head (2008) also states that teachers must not lose sight of the significance of students learning to design, create and express themselves through various means.
The readings for this week as well as our workshop on Monday further developed my knowledge and understanding of ICT and how it is going to, not only benefit me as a future teacher, but the students in my technologically rich classroom.
Thursday, 3 March 2011
First Day of ICT
Hi to everyone studying ICT and Pedagogy with me this semester :-)
Judging by our first workshop on Monday, I think this course is going to be extremely valuable to us as primary school teachers heading into 21st century schools.
Even after our first session, I already feel that I have a better understanding of various ICT and how they can be beneficially implemented into the classroom.
I learnt some new terms and concepts that I had never been exposed to before, including Augmented Reality; Neural Interfaces, Virtual Worlds, Cloud Computing and ITunesU. I'm very much looking forward to learning more about these concepts and ideas and how they are going to make for a more interesting and learning-focused classroom.
Until my next post, good luck on your technological journeys :-)
Judging by our first workshop on Monday, I think this course is going to be extremely valuable to us as primary school teachers heading into 21st century schools.
Even after our first session, I already feel that I have a better understanding of various ICT and how they can be beneficially implemented into the classroom.
I learnt some new terms and concepts that I had never been exposed to before, including Augmented Reality; Neural Interfaces, Virtual Worlds, Cloud Computing and ITunesU. I'm very much looking forward to learning more about these concepts and ideas and how they are going to make for a more interesting and learning-focused classroom.
Until my next post, good luck on your technological journeys :-)
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