My Final Culminating Statement

As I write this I feel a slight tinge of sadness, as the journey over this semester has been an enlightening and rewarding experience. When I initially started this course I did not believe that I would learn a great deal as I thought I was pretty up to date with technology. But throughout this semester my knowledge about technology has grown immensely and my ideas as to the role of technology in the classroom have shifted immensely. Throughout the semester I was introduced to and became skilled in the art of blogging, tweeting, podcasting and making digital stories .I have learnt about many different theories of learning, in particular two theories left an impact on me and will influence my methods of teaching in the future. These theories were Jonassens Meaningful Learning and Paperts Constructionism. Through undertaking practicum with a kindergarten class I had a surreal experience when I finally realised how much technology has changed in such a short period of time and how it has changed the teaching profession and us as individuals. I blogged about my practum experience and how I was amazed at how teaching had changed e.g. that technology has made teaching somewhat different compared to when i was at school and that it has made learning more exciting for children. After coming back from prac I was even more eager to learn in this class, as I finally understood how important it is for my knowledge of technology to be up to date as possible as technology is so present in schools.I immersed myself in the literature and blogged about a very valuable piece of literature called Too Cool for School? No Way! by Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler. This article left an impact on me as it highlighted how we must not be scared to introduce cools gadgets e.g. Ipods, Iphones and Ipads into the classroom, that they can be cool and educational at the same time. Another key learning experience post prac was a session with Glynnis Jones on Cyber Safety. I believe this tutorial was so important for  future teachers as I believe it will be our responsibility in the future to protect our students from the dangers of the internet especially if we will be there advocating and promoting the use of technology in the classroom. Another important moment this semester was reading a fantastic blog post by my fellow peer Melissa Gray. Melissa wrote about an article she had read in the Sunday Morning Herald.The blog post focused on a teacher who had introduced blogging into her classroom to connect wth other cultures around the world. I found this to be very fascinating as it takes on a whole new level of having penpals in the classroom and this is an idea that I would love to incorporate into my future classroom. You can view the article here, Melissa's original blog post here and my response here. The final point I will make that I have learnt this semester is that my learning journey is not over, but infact just beginning. On my journey to becoming a teacher I will be working hard to be constantly keeping up-to-date with the never ending advances in technology and their potential use in the classroom.

PLEASE NOTE: To see the video in better quality please press on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/user/elizajade100

Blogging in the School Classroom

I have just finished reading my fellow peers Melissa Grays blog post on integrating technology into the classroom- in particular blogging. Melissa's blog post came about after she read an interesting article by Joanne Brookfield on Blogging and using it in the classroom. I found Melissa's blog post to be very interesting and very relevant as we have been blogging each week as part of our course. Through blogging each week I have come to learn so much as I have been able to reflect each week on what I have learnt and then refer back to this whenever I felt the need. Mel makes a great point about blogging based on Henrietta Millers own blogging in her class and that is that it can be used in the classroom to connect with other cultures all over the world. I find this so exciting and fascinating. I remember having a pen pal in year 6 from America and I looked forward to each Wednesday when we would exchange emails. It was such a fun experience to learn all about school life on the other side of the world. Now blogging could replace pen pals and make this experience so much more exciting. Imagine being able to read each others blogs, see photos of each others school life and share similar thoughts on school and learning. I believe this would open up another world to the previous life of emailing pen pals. You can read Melissa Grays Blog post here and read Joannes Brookfields fantastic article about  Henrietta Miller here.

Being Cybersmart

Today we learnt about a very useful government initiative called Cyber(smart:). Cyber(smart:) is a website which houses a wide range of cyber safety information and teaching resources for primary and secondary schools. The website provides activities, resources and practical advice to help young kids, kids, teens and parents safely enjoy the online world.  The website covers very important issues including cyber bullying and sexting. The website also has policies and procedures which can be implemented in schools for recommended approaches to encouraging cybersafe behaviour throughout schools.  I believe this is such a vital website in today’s day and age.  The never ending forms of social mediums online means it has become vitally important that we educate young children on the dangers of using the internet, sharing too much information and also how what they put online can have detrimental effects which can be permanent. You can access the cyber(smart:) website here.

TPAK Model

Today I read a really interesting article titled “Too Cool for School? No Way! Written by Punya Mishra and Matthew J Koehler. This article explains how modern day technology and gadgets and phenomena such as Facebook, iphones, flickr, blogs, smartboard, Google earth etc can be repurposed to be educational. This article explains how as educators if we want to use technolgy to teach we require knowledge known as TPACK- Technological pedagogical and content knowledge. The TPAK model in very simple terms is the idea that teachers must combine content, pedagogy and technology for teaching to be effective when integrating technology into the teaching equation. Some of the key quotes for me in the article were:

·      “ As individuals we see a new technology and can appreciate its coolness but as educators we wonder how these tools can be used for teaching. The fact that a technology is innovative and popular does not make it an educational technology (2009, p. 15)”.

·      “Teachers need to develop a willingness to play with technologies and an openness to building new experiences for students so that fun, cool tools can be educational (2009, p. 17)”.

Overall I found this article to be of great interest. I find it fascinating how rapidly technology is evolving and I constantly wonder how teaching changes and continues to change as these technologies evolve. The main point that I took from this article was that these cool gadgets can be repurposed to be both cool and educational at the same time as long as the teacher ensures they keep up to date with the content that they are teaching, pedagogy and pedagogical issues and keep up to date with the never ending advances in technology.


Mishra, P. & Koehler, M. J. (2009). Too cool for school?  No way! Learning & Leading With Technology, 36(7), 14-18.

Martinez, E.( 2008) Technology 2008 [ photograph]. Retrieved from ttp://www.flickr.com/photos/91612584@N00/2946280569

Aha Moment

This week I had a small aha moment in my Kindergarten Class. Whilst in class this week, we did a lesson with Letterland which involved the students using the smartboard to learn all about the letter I- also know as Impy Ink. As I sat watching the students enjoying their interactive and fun lesson with beautiful music, colourful animations and interactive fun games with the smartboard I had three aha moments. Firstly I thought back to my own experience of letterland whilst I was in Kindy. I remember learning about Annie Apple and I remember doing exactly the same thing as the children, which was to find the objects in the picture, which start with the letter your learning about. In my experience I had to find Annie Apple on a large laminated cardboard card. Now sitting infront of me, these children were learning all about Impy Ink through a large screen, which sang to them and let them interact with them. For example when one of the children found the Iguana, the iguana would do a little dance, which the children throughly enjoyed. When I pointed to the apple in my letterland poster, there was no song or dance for me. I was amazed at how technology had changed the learning experience- that learning is now more fun as it is more interactive and the children are able to immerse themselves more into “ letterland” e.g. through the sights and sounds. I also had another ahah moment as a result of this lesson and this was that teaching would be somewhat easier for teachers now than it would have been for teachers back when I was in kindy. E.g. everything now is in the one place. For example the teacher does not have to play the letterland songs through a tape player as my kindy teacher did, now it is included in the software and can be played directly through the smartboard. One final Aha moment was watching the children interact with the whiteboard and their ease and competence with technology. I was truly astounded at their confidence in their ability to be able to get up the front of the class and press this and that to play songs and activities. It really is amazing at how children are so competent with technology at such a young age.

Image Source: Cassidy, K. (2006). Using the Smartboard [photograph]. Sourced from http://www.flickr.com/photos/57634636@N00/4484071751

First Day of Prac- Some interesting thoughts.

Today was my first day of Prac and as expected I had the same nerves as I packed my bag to get ready to return to the classroom. I was nervous, not knowing what to expect, worrying whether the teacher would be nice and if the students would be pleased to have someone new in their classroom. I was also excited as I was going to be teaching kindergarten and so far I have only had year 5 before.


As we have been learning so much about technology in Professional Experience I was quick to search out the classroom for technology available. In the classroom there was a smartboard and 1 computer, so I am currently thinking of ideas I will be able to use them in my future lesson with KA. Throughout the day the smartboard was used, firstly to do an interactive exercise with using letterland. This involved the children listening about Red Rover Robot and then taking turns coming up to the board to find the R sounding objects on the smart board. This was a fun activity for the children as the R sounding objects would do a little dance once they had been spotted- which the children really enjoyed. 


An interesting conversation I overheard in the staffroom was listening to another teacher complain about her disdain for computer lessons as so many things happen that makes it impossible for a lesson to be completed. Some of her complaints were problems with login and computers not working. It was really interesting listening to her discussion and I did agree with her on some points. I do think computers need to be better utilised in schools but to do this they need to made easier to access e.g. working computers and simple login processes. She also made the point she would prefer if there was a proper computer teacher that the students were sent of to do computing with. Her reasoning was that the computer teacher would be professionally trained who would now how to fix problems and also would be able to properly monitor the computers to ensure they were all working constantly thus avoiding the earlier problems. These were intersting thoughts that I thought were worth noting. I dont really know if i agree with her, i think there could be advantages to having a proper computer teacher but i do also think that the class teacher should use computers with their students.

Overall I had a great first day, however I am a little concerned about how I am going to do an ICT related lesson with my students. 

My Mid-Semester Statement

Mid Semester Statement

Through the readings and exciting lessons, my views on teaching and learning has changed and as a result the way I approach teaching has evolved.


A key reading which has influenced my view on Learning and Technology was Computer as Paintbrush by Resnick. The main point that I took from this reading was that children should create with the computer instead of just interacting with it. The key quote in the article to me was "Research has shown that many of children’s best learning experiences come when they are engaged not simply in interacting with materials but in designing, creating, and inventing with them (2006, p.4)". As a result of this reading I will now be more cautious of just getting children to interact with the computer e.g. typing or researching and instead get my students to create with the computer e.g make music on garage band or create a podcast. You can read my blog post on the main points of the article and its implications for me as a teacher here.

Another key reading during this semester was What is Meaningful Learning? By Jonassen. The key point I took from this article was that “For learning to be meaningful students must be willfully engaged in the task. In order for meaningful learning to occur the tasks that students pursue should engage active, constructive, intentional, authentic and co-operative activities(2008, p. 2).”As a result of reading this article, my method to approaching lesson planning has changed, in the sense that I will make every effort to make the learning meaningful by incorporating Jonassens 5 characteristics into my lessons. For example asking the children to question what they are learning and why and also teaching them in an authentic environment, For example if we are learning about the weather I will take them outside. You can read my blog post about the main points of the article here.

One final key reading was watching the YouTube video “Constructionism in the 21st Century Classroom”. This video highlighted the theory of constructionism and how it is being taught in the 21st  century. The main point I learnt from the video was that constructionism is the belief that children learn best when they design and create for themselves as this creates meaning for themselves and thus learning occurs. The key quote that i took from the video was " Seymour Papert believed that when technology is integrated with traditional constructivist activities children create for themselves new experiences and ways of thinking (2006). ” From this I took that children learn in a constructivist manner when they interact with the computer, which has also been highlighted in the previous readings by Resnick and Jonassen. In relation to technology in the 21st century children can learn in a constructivist manner when they design, express and publish work on the computer. Through watching this video and learning about constructionism I will ensure as a future teacher that i allow my students plenty of opportunities to design and express themselves using technology. You can view the video here and my blog post on constructionism here. 

A key blog post was when I explored my thoughts on social networking and whether it has a place in schools. This was brought about after my fellow peer Melissa Gray blogged about Facebook. Through this, I came to the opinion that social networking has a place in schools as long as it is tightly controlled. I came to this opinion after reading the article and then thinking about the advantages that social networking can bring to schools, especially Twitter and Facebook. You can view my blog post here.

The article also provoked other thoughts especially this quote “ Some educators say the social-media bans in schools are overkill and privacy fears have overshadowed the positive educational opportunities social media can offer students. They argue the best way for students and teachers not to fall victim to technology is to use it and understand so they can control it ("Teaching the Facebook Generation" 2011)”. This quote made a strong impact on me and made me think about things I had not thought about before. It highlighted to me that children should learn about social networking in schools not only for the education benefits but also to protect them and to teach them about how to use social networking appropriatley. This made me extend my thoughts further than just thinking about learning and also onto the welfare of students.

Some of the Key learning experiences in class over the first part of semester included learning about podcasting, twitter and digital storytelling. Through the study of podcasting in class, I learnt what podcasting was and how podcasting is used in the classroom. I became so excited after learning to podcast, I made one and also complied a list of podcasting activities This was incredibly important to me as it seems podcasting is used in many classrooms today. As a result of learning to podcast, I plan to incorporate podcasting in my future classroom in the many different ways that I blogged about.

Through learning about Twitter, my thoughts on its purpose and place in schools has changed. Before learning about Twitter in class, my thoughts were, How could a 140 character tweet be conducive to learning? But after being introduced to potential ways it can be used in the classroom I became so excited, I created my own twitter account and then researched and compile a long list of the many ways that twitter can be used in the classroom. You can access my twitter account here and view the list here. As a result of learning about Twitter, I vowed to keep my eyes open to using different technologies into the classroom and also that I will definitely be creating and using a twitter account in my future class.

Overall, this first part of semester has proved to be a valuable learning experience and has had an enormous impact on my thoughts on technology and how to integrate them into the classroom. I have also learnt to take risks and to keep an open mind on technologies and their place in the classroom. 
Reference:

Resnick, M. (2006). Computer as Paintbrush: Technology, Play, and the Creative Society. In Singer, D., Golikoff, R., and Hirsh-Pasek, K. (eds.), Play = Learning: How play motivates and enhances children's cognitive and social-emotional growth. Oxford University Press.

Jonassen, D. et al (2008). What is meaningful learning? In D. Jonassen et al.(Eds).Meaningful learning with technology. 3rd Edtn. pp1-12. Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, N.J.

Pierciery, M. (publisher) (2009) Constructionism in the 21st century classroom [video] Sourced from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEHZFd-QWQI

Macgibbon, A. (2011, 2, 28) Teaching the Facebook Generation. The Sydney Morning Herald Retrieved March, 2 2011 from http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/teaching-the-facebook-generation-20110227-1ba19.html

Image 1: Morgan, J . ( 2011) Brushes [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/24742305@N00/5557920490

Image 2: Pruitt, S. (2007) Free Dell Flamingo Pink Birthday Laptop [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/1482848501

Image 3: Epsos, D. ( 2010) Wooden Sculpture of Science Genetics [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/36495803@N05/4370721677
Image 4: Pruitt, S. (2009) Free School Child's Hands Choosing Colored Pencils [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/3387387075
Image 5: Jay, J. (2006) Exploring an Idea [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/16985707@N00/112404324
Image 6: Shields, L. (2010) iPad Dream # 3 [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/50064005@N00/5066006163

Mini-Conference Reflection

Today was a fantastic lesson in Professional Experience, listening to my fellow peers present their K-6 Educational resources. I found them all to be very interesting and all very useful resources that I will definitely use in my future classroom. One resource that really stood out to me was the Myths and Legends Storybook Creator. The Myths and Legends Storybook Creator was showcased by my fellow peer Melissa Gray. It is a storybook template where children are able to choose from a range of backgrounds, and characters and then fill the pages with speech bubbles or their own recorded voices to create a story. 

I would love to use this in my future classroom in the following ways. Firstly I think it would be great if you set it up on the Smartboard and got each student to come up and do a page, so the whole class would create a story together.  I would also love to use it in an English lesson to practice narrative writing or in a history lesson to recount an historic event or even for a maths lesson e.g. The life of  Mr. Multiplication.

I also think this is a great resource as it supports the characteristics of Jonassens Meaningful Learning. Firstly it is an active learning activity. This is where children learn through process. The children create the story themselves and input the storyline, thus they learn through active learning as they are creating the story themselves.  The activity also supports co-operative learning which is learning through working with others  and sharing skills. This would apply if the story was created together as a class on the smartboard. It also supports Paperts constuctionism as the children are learning through designing,creating and publishing their OWN stories. 

One final fanatastic aspect of the resource is that it is FREE and can be accessed HERE.

Constructionist Learning

This week, we were introduced to the concept of Constructionist Learning. Constructionist Learning was coined by one of Piaget's students Seymour Papert. Papert believed that when children create and experiment for themselves they draw their own conclusions, which creates new experiences and ways of learning. An Example of Constructionism is when children Design, Create and Publish their own work. This may include:
-Children as photographers
-Children as bloggers.
-Children as podcasters
-Children as publishers of newspapers
-Children making and uploading videos to YouTube.
The video below highlights constructionism in the 21st century.

My Digital Story

YAY, i have finally finished my Digital Video. I must admit i had quite a difficult time trying to work out how to use iMovie, but once i got the hang off it, i really enjoyed myself whilst making my digital video. So without further ado, i present to you, my digital video. I hope you enjoy, and please just remember this is my first ever attempt :)

TODAY Show Clip

Whilst I was watching the Today show this morning, i saw this really interesting report on Super size classrooms. In the clip, it showed the children working with technologies in the ways that we have been learning about in class. For example the students using podcasting to create their own radio station and making their own videos and uploading them to YOUTUBE. I thought it was interesting as it related to what we have been learning about in class. You can see the clip here.

Video Conferencing

This week in Professional Experience we had a guest speaker. The guest speaker graced us with her presence in a different way thanks to technology. Our guest (Carmel Burke- An expert on digital storytelling) made her impact in the classroom through a video conference. As i sat there listening to her speak  I was blown away for a minute by how amazing this was. That technology has allowed us to take geography and travelling out of the equation in connecting us to anyone in the world and still be able to listen, talk to them and see them face-to-face.This left me amazed and i thought how fantastic this tool is in the classroom. For example in my future classroom, we could communicate with classrooms on the other side of the world ( time delays permitting) and get a feel for what life at school is like on the other side of the world. We could also talk to experts on the other side of the world or people in remote areas e.g people working in Antarctica. This form of technology has literally opened up a whole new world in the way of communicating with people. 
Image Source: Cssidy, K. (2006) Skyping with Ms Marrinan [photograph]. Sourced from http://www.flickr.com/photos/57634636@N00/4936218669

Digital Stories

This week in Professional experience class, we learnt how to make digital stories. Digital stories are short clips, using photos and voice over, to tell a story. We were introduced to programs to use to make digital stories including iMovie ( for Macs ) and Photostory ( for Windows). I am currently trying very hard to make a short digital story on my own using iMovie (eeek, having a bit of trouble, but will persist). I am planning on talking about my primary school teachers who all left an everlasting impact on me and inspired me to become a teacher. Check back soon to see if i have mastered iMovie :)
Image source: Lee, S.  (2010) The Colourful Library of an interaction designer [photograph]. Sourced from http://www.flickr.com/photos/48973657@N00/4556156477

Digital Video in the Classroom

This week I read “ What the Research says about Digital Video in Teaching and Learning”. This article was very helpful for a pre service teacher as it highlighted the benefits for students and teachers of incorporating the use of  digital video in the classroom. Some of the benefits for students include: can increase student motivation and enjoyment, film-making encourages expression and creativity and making and showing DV films gives students a sense of achievement.  Some of the benefits for teachers include: DV work motivates students and keeps them on task, DV production allows for differentiation of teaching and learning and teachers can re-use DV clips and re-edit them according to the needs of their different classes. I have to admit I have many memories of using video in the classroom when I was in primary school. E.g. filming activities and excursions but prior to reading this article I have never given much thought about how and if I would ever incorporate digital video into my future classroom. But after learning about digital storytelling in class on Monday and then reading this article and discovering the many advantages for both the students and the teacher, I definitely plan to  incorporate digital video into my future classroom.

Image source: Wong, N. ( 2007). JVC GZ-HD7AH [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/14029705@N00/1035508924

Supporting Children with Special Needs

This week I read a blog post by my professional experience tutor Matthew Kearney. Matthew posted a fascinating post about how the latest developments in assistive technologies are giving children with disabilities such as autism a way to communicate. Along with the post was a wonderful video, which shows how these technologies are giving these children a voice. You can read Mathews post and watch the video here. The video showcases how Apples latest developments- the Ipod touch and Ipad are being used with specialized apps to give children with autism possibilities to communicate. This is being achieved through the use of pictures apps on their ipod touch and ipad. For example the child can communicate that they would like something to eat through clicking on a picture of food on their ipad or ipod touch.

I found this video really interesting and heart warming that the advances in technology are giving children with disabilities a voice that they have never had before. These tools would be fantastic in the classroom, if there was to be a child with special needs such as autism. These technologies would allow the child to communicate with the teacher and their peers as these developments can overcome the limitations that children with autism suffer from including difficulties in social interaction and impaired communication.

Image Source: Shields, L. (2010) iPad Dream # 3 [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/50064005@N00/5066006163

E-learning 2.0 ( Podcast)

This week, i read the article E-learning 2.0: How Web Technologies are Shaping Education. I found this article very interesting and incredibly relevant to our Professional Experience course. This week I decided to change things up a bit instead of just writing so i have created a podcast to reflect on my thoughts of the reading.  You can find my podcast here. I hope you enjoy :)

Image source: Adesigna, A. (2008) #271 eLearning [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/35723892@N00/2946164861

Tweet, Tweet. Twitter and its role in the classroom.

Today in Professional Experience class we were introduced to the social networking site Twitter. As I sat in class, listening to what twitter is and how it is used, I started thinking about the potential ways twitter could be used in the classroom. I came up with a few ideas on my own and then decided to search the net for some more. Whilst researching I found a great website which lists 31 ways twitter can be used in the classroom. You can find that website here.

So here is a list of ideas that I have compiled with the help of the above source on the different ways twitter can be used in the classroom.

*Create a Tweet-story. Each student of the class, must use the 140 character word limit to write part of a story, the next student continues on and then on.

*Set up a private Twitter account for your class. Invite parents to 'follow' you, and they can see what the class are up to from any computer.

*Find someone in another class, school, country who is interested in the same topic you are. Following each other on Twitter, share information, resources and ideas. Help each other find answers or even suggest questions
*Create a scavenger hunt- Firstly set the students a topic e.g. China and then each child must find a piece of information to fit into a 140-character tweet about the topic.
*Create a twitter account for a historical figure e.g. Captain Cook which each child could have to tweet one interesting fact about them.

Image Source: SigmaMarketing. (2010) Twitter Bird [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/48276902@N06/4900694109/

ANYONE can Podcast!!

This week, during my professional experience class I learnt all about podcasting. This is my very first experience with podcasting and I must admit I have never known what podcasting meant and what podcasting actually was. In case you are as podcasting deficient as I WAS, here is a basic outline of what podcasting is.

Podcasting in my own words is when you record your voice using the computers microphone and audio editing software e.g. (Mac has a fantastic program called garage band, which allows you to make podcasts) which you can then listen to on demand and upload to all different places. E.g. the Internet or any type of MP3 player. Here is a podcast that i have uploaded onto the net, to demonstrate that i have learnt how to make a podcast :)

After learning, first what podcasts where and after successfully making my own in class (who knew it would be so easy?) I started to do some research using the net about podcasting. Through my research I found a number of different ways podcasting could be used in schools. So with the help of the following source, I created a dot point round up of how podcasting could be used in schools.

* Recording what children have learnt during a lesson, which they can then playback on their computer or ipod when they are unsure or have forgotten what they have learnt.

*Students could practice their reading skills. E.g they could record themselves reading books and then play them back on the computer or ipod.

* Students could record the school news and then upload it to the school website which is a great way of telling children, and parents what is going on at the school.

Image Source: Zoomar, (2008) Roscoe Considers Recording a Podcast [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/61456874@N00/2265202595

What is Meaningful Learning?

Meaningful Learning

This week, I read What is Meaningful Learning? By Jonassen, D., et al. This article was about how teaching in schools at this present moment inhibits students learning as the learning process is not meaningful to the child. It also focuses on how technology can be used to make the learning process more meaningful.
Basic points of the reading

*Learning is driven by the understanding and effort invested in completing a task or activity.

*Due to curriculum, students only learn to take tests.  As a result students become fully invested in passing that they make no attempt to understand the knowledge being tested.

*Because of this process of single standardised form of testing, children are not able to show how they know things in multiple ways and thus there is no meaningful learning.

*For learning to be meaningful students must be willfully engaged in the task. In order for meaningful learning to occur the tasks that students pursue should engage active, constructive, intentional, authentic and co-operative activities.

The 5 characteristics of learning

Constructive: learning through questioning what you are learning. When one is curious or puzzled by what they see, meaning is made through reflection of ones confusion.

Active learning: learning through process, trial and error, observation. The learner is actively engaged in the learning process. E.g. learning to hit a baseball through trial and error.

Intentional: Learning in order to fulfill a goal. E.g. learning in order to satisfy a need.

Authentic: Learning in the correct environment. E.g. learning about physics by driving a car instead of reading a textbook.

Co-operative: Learning through working with others and sharing skills.

The role of Technology in Meaningful learning.

*When students are engaged with technology, the student must teach the computer or use the technology to represent what they know in order for learning to be meaningful.

*The process has to be learner initiated and learner controlled.

*The technology must be intellectually engaging to the student.

* Technology as social medium. E.g. working with others.

*Technology can be used to articulate and represent what the learner knows.

Social Networking in Schools

Social Networking in Schools

Last week my fellow peer Melissa Gray wrote an interesting blog post about her thoughts on social networking sites and the advantages and disadvantages of their use in schools. Her reflection was inspired by an article, which appeared in the sun herald, which you can read here:

Melissa made many interesting points about why she believes social networking sites should be taught and permitted in schools. I found that I thoroughly agreed with Melissa on this issue as so I thought I would list some reasons why I believe social networking sites should be allowed in schools. These include:

* They can be incorporated into lessons or provide a fun way for children to play if they have spare time. E.g. Twitter could be used in an English lesson or as a fun extra time activity. An example of one twitter game is writing a story through twitter, where each child has to use the 160-character word limit to write a part of a story, which the next child continues on. This activity would be great for English in story telling and also for a creative writing activity.

* Social networking sites such as twitter could be used to update parents about what is going on in their child’s classroom, or update them whilst children are on excursions and remind them of specific dates coming up e.g. mufti days. So it would be a direct and live link between the classroom and the student’s parents.

* Social networking sites can provide a place for students to help each other with homework or study together before a test. E.g. Year 6 could have a facebook page and all the students could post comments if they were having trouble with their homework and the students could work together to work out the answers.

  

Image Source: Hamm, M. (2008) Jump on the social media bandwagon [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/73532212@N00/2945559128