Voices of the Cape

The Voices of the Cape videos are really inspirational! It is great to see that they have started a program that is student centered; where students make choices throughout the learning process and determine what their culminating task will consist of. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students need to be provided with equal access to ICT's and encouraged to feel as if they too are able to do anything they put their mind to. The learning process is made up of teaching the students how to use ICT's and providing them with hands-on experiences to practice their knowledge and skills, meaningfully. Students are required to share their story through multimedia literacies which makes them feel important and valued within the learning environment. The program emphasizes the importance of engagement in order to gain students interest, involvement and attendance at school.
Techniques that particularly stood out and I aim to use within my teaching include:
-make students feel accepted, comfortable and respected
-provide student focus practices-ensure students have choice in the learning process
-communication through different literacies; song, music, film, dance
-include culture as a part of the project
-include western culture and students background culture to generate outcomes
-small group work for individual focus
-parent and community involvement
-include student interests-friends, rap, culture
-provide a great deal of encouragement and praise
-teach the importance of education
-provide students with something to look forward to and work towards
-make students feel important and worthy.

Digital Storytelling

Digital storytelling is the combination of oral storytelling and multimedia tools such as images, sound, music and voice to deliver a story. This concept transforms oral presentations or written information into e-learning experiences which require students to make use of technology tools in order to produce a multimedia rich story. Waterhouse (2003) suggests that e-learning involves improving teaching and learning using instructional strategies enhanced by technology, especially computer technology (p. 3). At a very basic level e-learning is using information communication technologies to engage, enhance and extend learning in flexible and innovative ways, now and in the future. Prensky (2005) believes that pedagogical practices of the 21st century should be technology rich in order to cater for the 'digital native' students of today and prepare them for the technology of tomorrow. The Digital Storytelling Website states that "Digital kids need learning to be relevant, meaningful, and applicable now"which supports Kearsley and Shneiderman's (1999) engagement theory suggesting that engaging tasks are those which provide meaning and relevance to real-life. They also suggest along with Felder and Solomon that engagement can be achieved through ensuring all students learning styles are catered for and interests are included. Digital Storytelling allows for students to show off their artistic, storytelling, techie and writing abilities in creative manners. This sort of technology can also be manipulated into tasks in order to form roles for students which allow for their strengths to shine and practice in roles they may struggle with. For Learning Managers these types of experiences allow for clear assessment in areas students may exceed at or struggle with and poses the opportunity to improve these. Learning Managers are also able to incorporate students interests within such tasks, for instance allowing students to make their own choice of what topic they will base their presentation around. Student interests, however, are in a sense already included within the use of Digital Storytelling as students are able to make their own choice around what images, music and sounds they wish to use. Digital Storytelling could be an excellent tool for Learning Managers to adopt as a form of assessment, as students are able to show what they have learnt in a meaningful and creative way.

REFERENCES

Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity,
FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Waterhouse, S. (2003). The power of elearning the past, the present, and the future. Retrieved June 15, 2006,
from http://ritim.cba.uri.edu/wp2003/pdf_format/Wiley-Encycl-Internet-Diffusion-v12.pdf

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon. MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001.

Felder, R., Solomon, A. Learning Styles And Strategies. Retrieved from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

INCOMPETECH

Incompetech is a website that provides a large range of different genres of music. The beauty of this site is that anyone is able to make use of the music. This tool is very beneficial in pedagogical practices as it is free and provides music of all kinds that are all appropriate to use in educational settings. Music is a great tool to calm and relax students as well as promote creativity. Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999) talk about the theory of engagement, they suggest that engagement is achievable through incorporating students interests and ensuring all students are catered for within the learning experience (Felder & Solomon). In concurrence, much research regarding the teaching of children suggests that students learn best when they feel comfortable and supported within the learning environment.

The piece of music i have chosen is described as a very laid back piece that promotes calm, relaxed and somber feelings. It can therefore be seen that the inclusion of such music within learning experiences caters for those students who take interest in music, learn best through auditory means and those who learn best in a calm and relaxed environment (Felder & Solomon). It is for this reason i see that this piece of music would be a great tool to use after lunch breaks to ensure students are calm and relaxed before learning begins. This could be used within art and craft activities, relaxation time as well as a background to learning activities in attempt to discourage students from talking and promote focus and creativity within tasks.

I remember in maths classes during my senior years of school students would always make use of their ipods during the completion of maths activities and work sheets in order to block out the chatter of other students and remain focused. This tool seemed to allow one to remain focused and not become distracted by near-by conversations. Music also promoted calm feelings and enabled one to get on with their work. It is for this reason as a Learning Manager I will attempt to make use of music within my classroom tasks to promote creativity, calm and relaxed feelings toward learning and encourage children to throw themselves into their work instead of conversation. A tool such as Incompetech certainly supports this idea and allows for such practices.

REFERENCES

Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity,
FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Felder, R., Solomon, A. Learning Styles And Strategies. Retrieved from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

Slideshare Powerpoint presentation

Slideshare Powerpoint presentation

View more presentations from elliehood.

Slideshare is a very simple tool to use, users are able to upload their PowerPoint presentations which can then be embedded into their blogs. I'm am now able to see how all of our learning experiences throughout the E-learning course can be displayed on our professional blog to clearly display our knowledge and understanding of the tools studied as well as our ability to use different technology tools.

I can see how great it would be as a Learning Manager to include blogging as a form of assessment. Not only does this make way for the inclusion of ICT's but also displays students learning throughout a unit in terms of submission. Prensky (2005) emphasizes this importance of creating technology rich learning experiences for learners in order to cater for the 'digital natives' of the classroom, as well as preparing students with the skills and knowledge relevant to technology for the future.

It is clear that technology has come a long way! Technology has progressed from documenting diary entries in Word to online blog accounts where photos, PowerPoint presentations, videos, music and a number of other technology tools can be uploaded to display to others (Lincoln & Strommen 1992). In the use of blogs, Learning Managers are able to make use of Slideshare in order to upload PowerPoint's that may contain instructions for students homework. This can been seen as a bridge to e-learning where students view their teaches blog for homework instruction and post their answers to their own blog. Students can also make use of Slideshare to upload their own PowerPoint's to their blogs so that all learning is documented on the one site. Felder and Solomon explain that the inclusion of ICT's such as Slideshare provide students with visual cues to their learning which can aid in their understanding and engagement within a topic (Mueller, 1980), (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999).

REFERENCES

Mueller, G. (1980). The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 335-340

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon. MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001.

Lincoln, B, Strommen, E. (1992). CONSTRUCTIVISM, TECHNOLOGY, AND THE FUTURE OF CLASSROOM LEARNING. Retrieved from http://www.playfulefforts.com/archives/papers/EUS-1992.pdf

Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity,
FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Wikipedia

Wikipedia is a great tool to generate quick information about a topic. There are numerous pages of information that is often very helpful and insightful, however, the validity of the information is definitely something that needs to taken into account when using information from Wikipedia. This is due to the fact that anyone that is a user of the site is able to add or update information, this means that information may not necessarily be true or may contain bias views.

I conducted a search of recycling which resulted in 32 pieces of information, however, not all of this information was relevant and of good use. The first piece of information, though, did produce very relevant, correct and usable information. As i have previously studied this topic with one of my host classes I was able to determine that most of the information was valid and could be trusted in using. The problem however with this, is that while students are conducting searches using Wikipedia they may come across and use information that is not true and is not relevant to the topic. It is for this reason most universities and schools do not allow the use of Wikipedia in academic assessment material. I do however believe that Wikipedia is a great tool for those that are searching for information for personal use only, not the for the use of academic assessment, as this tool does often have a great source of information that would otherwise be difficult to find. This is fundamentally the reason behind most people using this site to perform searches, because it does provide one with a great deal of information, quickly- and you do not need to sift through pages to find it. Through my search i also found that pieces of information listed below were pages thought to be relevant to the search i conducted. This included the history of recycling, legislation, supply, process, collection, sorting, cost benefit-analysis, positive and negative points, common recyclables and other techniques, just to name a few.

Wikipedia, would be an excellent tool to use in order to teach students to unpick information and determine what is relevant, what is seems valid and what is of good use to them. This would definitely benefit students in the way of finding information for tasks and determining what information they need to complete the task. These skills are used as a part of university study as well as many professions in the real-world, so not only would this type of teaching become authentic and beneficial to students in their future learning but allow for them to see relevance to their learning and practices in the real-world. Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999) explain that this connection to real-life practices and the integration of ICT's is significant in creating engagement within students toward classroom tasks. Prensky (2005) provides further reasoning to this as he believes that students of the 21st century need to use technology in classroom experiences in order to be prepared for the technology rich society of the future. Furthermore, the use of Wikipedia can be seen to be also beneficial to learning Managers in their attempt to gather information to support their teachings.

References

Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity,
FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon. MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001.

Google Earth

Google Earth is such a great tool for everyday use as well as pedagogical contexts. The tool is very easy to use and navigate around the world to various places. It is amazing that anyone can view any place around the world via their computer! Already I have learnt where particular landmarks are located within countries around the world as well as the longitude and latitude of these. I have been exploring places all over the world such as; the Egyptian Pyramids, Taj Mahal, Great world of China, Pantheon and Colosseum of Rome, Parthenon of Greece, statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower and many landmarks in Australia.

Learning Managers could make use of such a tool by taking students via the web to the places they are learning about in order to create a greater understanding of where particular places are located and what they look like. Google Earth may be used to benefit a variety of pedagogical practices such as;
-showing learners where particular animals/ people/ objects come from
-where famous landmarks are located
-what landmarks look like
-what different shapes can be found in landmarks around the world
-the distance between locations
-the difference in weather around the world
-the difference in landscape around the world
-what countries are on each side of the equator
-the longitude and latitude of different places

Upper primary students could be required to investigate, using Google Earth, the longitude and latitude of countries and landmarks around the world and explore the longest and shortest ways between different locations using different units of measure including centimeters, meters, kilometers, ect. Younger students could be required to locate different countries around the world or landmarks within Australia and investigate what places would be traveled through in a trip across Australia. These types of activities integrate hands-on technology practices while providing visual cues for learners(Mueller, 1980). As it can be seen, Google Earth provides real-life connectedness and meaningful relevance to the real-world, which supports Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999) along with Felder and Solomon's view that students see value and are actively engaged in these types of experiences.

References

Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity,
FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Mueller, G. (1980). The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 335-340

Felder, R., Solomon, A. Learning Styles And Strategies. Retrieved from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

Youtube and Techertube

This is a Youtube video of the world's most deadly spider. Youtube is a web tool that can be used by anyone to watch videos uploaded by its users of just about anything. The beauty of this tool is that there are a very large variety of videos made available and you don't have to be a member to make use of the site. Youtube is easy to use and finding a suitable video is simple! Youtube videos can be used to introduce topics, provide information about topics, show demonstrations, provide engaging visual support to topics, provide ICT rich practices ect. The use of Youtube within educational contexts can be very beneficial to learning experiences because of the engagement (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) and visual support (Mueller, 1980) it provides for learners. Youtube also provides a gateway for the integration of ICTs and multimedia within classroom practices (Prensky 2001). Prensky (2001) emphasizes the importance of ICT's within 21st century classrooms as he believes these students are 'digital natives' thus speaking the language of technology. Through Prensky's view it is clear that children of the 21st century are greater familiar with technology and it's uses, it is for this reason it is important that Learning Managers provide learning experiences that make use of technology to create ease into learning with the use of familiar tools as well as engagement (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) and prepare students for the digital society of the future.

Teachertube similarly provides a place for Learning Managers to upload classroom videos, ICT assessment materials and moreover anything educational in video format. I have seen on the site, a range of students' videos for assessment tasks and class videos documenting their learning. Through this i can see how beneficial such a tool can be within classroom tasks in particular as a form of assessment. Requiring students' to video themselves presenting findings, information or ideas in creative ways as a tool for assessment allows for the inclusion of those learners who learn best through the incorporation of ICTs, creativity, visual cues (Mueller, 1980), hands-on and auditory practices along with authentic focuses (Felder & Solomon). Through providing this inclusion along with incorporating students interests and showing students how their work is relevant to real-life practices, learners will become greater engaged (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) within their task.

The video above can be used in a number of ways within classroom practices, including the introduction to a topic on spiders, providing students with facts on spiders during a topic and providing an example for students of how to document their findings on a particular spider. I have decided to use this video in an English lesson to incorporate the students' interests, provide engagement (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) into the topic and provide connection to the text that will be read by the student. The video will be used as a part of an English lesson focusing on spelling; students will clap when they identify words that end in 'er' throughout the video. This will be used to assess their knowledge and understanding of words that end in 'er' along with the ability to identify this sound. After this students will be asked to write a story about spiders making sure they use 'er' correctly in their spelling of words. The concept of using a video to do this will enable students to engage (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999) within the topic through the use of visual representation (Mueller, 1980), ICT's in the form of video, inclusion of students interests along with active involvement from students.

References

Kearsley, G., Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity,
FAHE11001 Managing E-Learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

Mueller, G. (1980). The Modern Language Journal, Vol. 64, No. 3, pp. 335-340

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon. MCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5, October 2001.

Felder, R., Solomon, A. Learning Styles And Strategies. Retrieved from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm