Assessment item 2 - Professional Blog

Synopsis

What is eLearning and how can it transform, support and enhance learning?

The one-size-fits-all medium – whereby students are all subjected to the same educational event for the same amount of time, at the same pace, without reference to need, interest ability or learning style has passed. Make way for a customised model, an approach to learning that allows individuals to select and make knowledge which is of interest and value to them (Prensky, 2005). Welcome eLearning.

ELearning refers to the exploration and use of a broad range of information and communication technologies to provide new learning environments that may be interactive or accessed online from home or within the community (Darling-Hammond, 1997). But it is far more than that. The inclusion of eLearning in the classroom gives students new and valuable learning experiences regardless of the context. The use of ICTs can not only transform, support and enhance learning but accomplish a far greater feat, that of differentiation.

The assembly line model of the past characterised by its ordered progress through years and grades, a regimented timetable, a highly structured curriculum and learning a scheduled activity for certain periods at specific times of the year, gives way to a learner based model characterised by just in time, just for the individual and just for as long as is needed (Waterhouse, 2005).

What does it look like in the context of my grade 3 class?
Children outstrip their parents in their facility with this technology (Prensky, 2001, p. 1) admits that there is indeed a broad ugly ditch that continue to divide young people, the digital natives, from their teachers and parents, the digital immigrants. It is not only my goal as a learning manager to embrace ICTs and digital tools, it is my responsibility. A common misconception about eLearning is that it is expensive, time consuming and resource heavy. This is not only untrue but also a too familiar scapegoat of pure ignorance. In my grade 3 class, where we only have two classroom computers, I am beginning to experiment with how ICTs can be embedded and embraced within the curriculum (take a look at my voki). The opinion that seven year old children are not capable to create a presentation or research online is just not accepted. Seven year old children are not only motivated by the use of ICTs but they motivate me to learn too. Google Maps and Google Earth have recently made maiden appearances in my classroom, with great success. Both of these tools highlight connectedness to the world (Education Queensland, 2002) and contextualise learning for the students.


What are the limitations to eLearning in my grade three class?
Notably there are some limitations. As Cole (2000) notes, web-based pedagogy privileges the written word—students must be literate and competitive if they are to capitalise on the formal properties of E-learning technology. I do not deny this comment, although I do not accept it either. As my year 3 class is an inclusive classroom including multiple students with learning disabilities, it is not to say that some students will need more support than others but at the same time I am beginning to see some great successes with these students too. Although students with limited literacy ability may require support with class discussion boards, wikis and blogs there is also many successes when using animations and simulations. The biggest limitation to eLearning that I have seen is a closed mind of the learning manager - see Belinda's Blog for my comments.

The tools I have chosen for my grade three class.
I have selected five tools to explore further in the context of my grade three class. Each of the tools have been evaluated using Education Queensland's Productive Pedagogies framework. For further reasons on why I chose to use the Productive Pedagogies framework see my comments on Gary's Blog.

I have selected tools from each of the following categories:
• Access and gain information
• Consolidate and refine information
• Transform information to develop new understanding
• Present knowledge to an audience

Google Maps
To allow the children to access and gain information while embracing ICTs I have chosen to explore Google Maps. The main driving force behind my decision to choose Google Maps was its alignment with the Productive Pedagogy of connectedness. Connectedness to the world describes the extent to which the lesson has value and meaning beyond the instructional context (Education Queensland, 2002). By making a connection with another grade three class in Canada in my upcoming “Visual Zoo” unit, each child will feel connected and aligned with the ‘sister’ class. Similarly, Google Maps will provide a ‘real’ perspective of the sister school and their surroundings allowing the learning take on value beyond the classroom. For a more detailed look at how I will specifically use Google Maps please take a look at my Google Maps posting on my blog.

Concept Mapping
To consolidate and refine information I have chosen to investigate the digital tool of concept mapping. Not only does concept mapping allow the children to gain a “Big Picture” of the topic but it also aligns with the productive pedagogy of higher-order thinking. Higher-order thinking by students involves the transformation of information and ideas. This is also supported by Blooms taxonomy, where the goal should be to push them to “analyse, evaluate and synthesise” (Frangenheim, 2007, p. 124).

This transformation occurs when students combine facts and ideas and synthesise, generalise, explain, hypothesise or arrive at some conclusion or interpretation (Education Queensland, 2002). I have only recently introduced my grade three students to digital concept mapping but we are already having great results. I love the ease in which the students can create and more importantly modify the concept map as their thoughts, knowledge and interest grow. I have placed a further analysis of these views on my concept map post.

Digital Video
In order to transform information to develop new understanding for my seven and eight year olds I have chosen digital video. According to Kearney & Shuck (2006), digital video has a range of common usages in schools, in particular for communication, observation analysis, and reflection. As a communication tool, digital video facilitates students' communication of messages, ideas or information. Digital video is also used as an observation and analysis tool, enhancing students' observations of phenomena, experiments or performances. Finally, it is used as a reflection tool to support student reflections on their own learning. Digital video can be created using digital video cameras, however can also be made using still photographs. I have used PhotoStory3 to create a movie using still photographs on my Digital Video posting. I am only just beginning to use this tool in my classroom so I am yet to gauge the success of the analysis and reflection stages but so far the students are engaged and motivated to use digital video. I gained some imaginative and insightful suggestions from Nina's Blog on some other ways to use video in the classroom too.

The final category I will assess is presenting knowledge to an audience. I have chosen two different tools to explore in this group.

PowerPoint
I agree that this tool is certainly not ‘thinking out of the box’ for presenting knowledge but purely from my own experience with PowerPoint over the last three weeks I could not go past it. My initial views on PowerPoint were similar to those ideals held closely with the “Death by PowerPoint” philosophy, but as you will read on both of my PowerPoint posts (yes, I felt the need to explore PowerPoint twice!), these have indeed changed. No longer do I align this tool with ‘talk and chalk’ but more of an engaging interactive tool to present and evaluate knowledge. I have also evaluated Prezi during this analysis but again came back to PowerPoint as my tool of choice.

Blog
When making the choice between a blog and a wiki for the best tool to present knowledge in my classroom, I had many considerations. I looked at the ease in which they can be constructed, maintaining and modifying and finally facilitator control. The problem that arose was they were both valuable tools! The open style of a wiki can be useful for group projects, while a blog may aid in brainstorming or generating discussion. Although I believe a combination of the two would be most successful in my context. For the purpose of this assessment I have chosen to explore blogs. I was swayed mainly because of the self satisfaction I have felt in building my own blog throughout this course. Not only was it the first time I have ever created a blog but the first time I have even posted on one! I know if at the age of 33 I can build a blog that facilitates learning and higher-order thinking, my grade threes will have no problem! When students use this tool they are analysing and comparing in line with productive pedagogies’ intellectual quality including higher-order thinking and substantive conversation. Likewise this tool promotes a supportive classroom environment that promotes student direction and academic engagement.


Legal, safe and ethical guidelines
All teachers work within policies that are developed from legislation. Whilst the ongoing consideration of safety potentially limits the freedom of online exploration, it must be adhered to and well managed. Basic ethics suggests that all materials used are appropriately referenced unless they belong to you.

Normal copyright regulations apply for online use. Therefore the use of copyright images and materials are restricted according to the owner’s wishes. It is extremely important as a learning manager to model and teach ethical and legal behaviours. For more information on this please visit Education Queensland's Risk Management Statement on Web Publishing

Conclusion
Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today (Siemens, 2004). When knowledge is needed, but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill. As knowledge continues to grow and evolve, access to what is needed is more important than what the learner currently possesses. This mindset and vision of connectivism supports the learning tools that I have chosen to explore in the context of my year three students. My vision for them is not to only scaffold their learning of the curriculum but their learning of how to learn.

Strommen & Lincoln (1992) explains that "today’s workers need the skills to gather information from diverse resources, including both traditional and electronic means and to merge that information to make common connections. It is not the choice of should I use ICTs in my classroom but more where and for what reason. We as future learning managers need to embrace the curriculum and arm ourselves with appropriate frameworks in order to present intellectually engaging and challenging work for the children in our classrooms.



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