Pencils, Paper and Podcasts.

The Novice vs. The ‘Expert’

Lauren B — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 04:50:09 +0000

The paper, Mobile Learning thinking: Get on your skateboard to keep up! written by Margaret Robertson begins with an unexpected insight into the world of a kid under ten years living in today’s society. The observations made by this child support the trends of which we are all aware. Robertson purports that educators require ‘constant vigilance to accommodate change’ and with colleagues, is conducting a classroom based research project. This project aims to understand the pedagogical changes that are required for educating students for the digital world and some experiences are shared in the paper. These are interesting, the novice versus the ‘expert’ teacher especially – one teacher who shows little inclination to include technology uses computers as a reward, assumes his students are engaged in the curriculum content just because they’re using computers. While the next teacher is engaging the students in the work the computers were being used as a ‘filing system’ rather than a tool that could extend understandings. These teachers aren’t effectively using the mobile learning tools of which they are provided, but then there’s the ‘expert’. This teacher has multiple tasks running simultaneously, tasks that engaged the students, enhancing their learning through problem-solving and discussion. This teacher has created a classroom community based on mutual respect and trust, allowing the teacher to utilise the mobile learning tools incorporating critical thinking and enquiry that Robertson believes is offering opportunities for ‘next generational thinking’. Robertson concludes that a constant renewal of ideas will assist students to build resilience for change, which will become a skill pertinent to their future lives.

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jnxyz/212388414/

The New Literacy

Lauren B — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:14:14 +0000

If my vodcast isn’t loading, follow this link.

Johanna Riddle’s article – Bookbinders: Fusing Technology, Image, and Literature

It’s Still An Issue

Lauren B — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 07:07:55 +0000

It seems we are at a crossroads, so thinks Patricia Deubel in her article Crossroads in Education: Issues for Web 2.0, Social Software and Digital Tools. Educators have developed their approaches to teaching and learning, defining the what and how that is presented to students and modes of assessment, both of which have generally been effective. However, these approaches are now being challenged by the advancements we have seen in technology and the opportunities to enhance learning that this reveals for teachers and students. This article raises the usual issues surrounding the incorporation of technology into the curriculum – It’s collaborative and creative, it gains students’ attention and motivates them, and, of course, what about our students’ security? Yet this article goes beyond these, questioning (for the first time that I’ve read) the longevity of using “free and open source products” with the possibility of these disappearing at any time and little or no contactable support becoming another issue that need to be considered. But if free source products are too risky to rely on, what does it mean for schools that don’t have the funds to cover the cost of new technology? Daanen and Facer (2007) in Deubel’s article, reminds us of the great digital divide, commenting on the fairness of education, if ‘intelligence is enhanced and developed’ using tools that need to be bought. I do support the incorporation of technology into schools as I am aware of the benefits that it provides, although I can’t imagine how schools with little funding could afford to purchase such technology if they are currently unable to provide basic equipment for teaching and learning.

Culture Shock

Lauren B — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 06:15:22 +0000

Have you heard the one about the Baby, the Flying Machines and the Movies? It’s not what it seems. Seymour Papert has written an article titled Educational Computing: How Are We Doing?, assessing the stage of the life-cycle in which educational computing currently exists, however focuses on the programming language LOGO. He has used three seemingly irrelevant items as metaphors to assist in his explanation of the life-cycle, hence the Baby, the Flying Machines and the Movies. While the Baby and the Flying Machine analogies provide understanding into the development of educational computing, I found that the insights presented in the Movie metaphor to be pertinent to the current status of computers and technology in schools. Movie cameras were introduced to the theatre, a technology that invoked minimal change, not fully exploiting the potential benefits. This is reminiscent to the implementation of computers in the classroom; this comparison acknowledges the reality that computers are an additional tool being used with traditional classroom practices, the stage Papert believes most schools currently reside. While technology is currently being used to assist in the teaching and learning of the curriculum content, it has the potential to significantly change the way in which students learn. New technologies have been met with some resistance, thus Papert’s suggestion that a development of the culture of schools needs to be addressed if we are to access the potential of educational computing technologies.

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/judybaxter/48011834/

Reaching potential

Lauren B — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:34:12 +0000

This article written by Glenn Kleiman delves into the myths and realities that surround the inclusion of technology in classrooms. He states that we are “in the midst of an explosion of multimedia digital technology”, investing billions of dollars on computers, internet access, software and everything that goes with these, but questions whether we are making proper use of this technology. Kleiman has brought to light the “myths” associated with technology in the classroom; putting computers into classrooms and making them available will directly improve and enhance the learning that takes place. The reality is that without the proper professional development and training for teachers to be able to use this technology, computers will be used for nothing more than word processing and drill-and-practice tasks. However, it is expected that, with such a substantial investment in technology, students’ learning is setting them up with the skills for life in the 21st Century. This technology should be providing experiences broader that the curriculum content, engaging students in inquiry and problem solving based learning and collaborative learning using databases, computer graphic tools and multimedia presentation software. Kleiman is determined to see technology enhance teaching and learning, which he feels is conditional not on the number of computers, rather how educational visions are defined, the preparation and support for teachers but possibly most importantly, how technology is incorporated into the curriculum instead of being an add-on or a special occasion activity.

Image from: http://www.edletter.org/dc/kleiman.htm

Just because we can?

Lauren B — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 04:32:29 +0000

Just Because We Can?

Terry Freedman’s Article

Visit Jana’s Blog

These images were a part of the Wikipedia ad campaign. They advertise the ability to edit the pages as a benefit of using the source, this contrasts with Freedman’s views.
These images were found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikeeperez/2452395177/in/set-72157604803121347/

Engage me!

Lauren B — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:47:54 +0000

The students have spoken, this is their vision for their education, and they want engagement. So how can teachers accommodate these needs to ensure these students are engaged in learning? This video presents the reality of today’s learners and raises questions pertinent to the learning environment that we will be entering into. The statistics in this video don’t surprise me; it’s well known that this generation are the ‘digital natives’ and the teachers are struggling to keep up. This video serves as an awakening to the needs of this generation’s students and reiterates the importance for teachers to develop their skills in using technology.
Developing competency in using new media and technology is essential for all teachers; student teachers are being taught at university, but what will happen for teachers who weren’t brought up with technology. The world is becoming increasingly dependent upon technology within the classroom and beyond, thus equipping students with such skills will see them succeed in life. Engagement – technology can do this; why not use it?

Video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related

Educational games?

Lauren B — Mon, 26 May 2008 11:03:42 +0000

A recent blog written by Hayley depicts what I believe to be quintessential aspects of student learning. While these are expressed as elements of games that wouldn’t traditionally be categorised as educational, the video depicts how these games provide pedagogical benefits. Students of all ages are engaged in these games; however, their interest has nothing to do with the skill development or knowledge acquisition.

Hayley, in her blog, has summarised some of the skills games introduce to students. Through engagement in games students are learning how to follow instructions, working in sequential order to complete a task, although it was indicated that games with too many rules weren’t as popular as students would rather discover things along the way. These aspects of games are indicative of classroom learning, following classroom rules and instructions to complete tasks are essential to effective teaching and learning to occur. One teaching and learning approach that I believe is effective is allowing students to explore and experiment activities, the inclusion of this engages students in discovery learning.

These are only some of the benefits games provide as raised throughout the video, providing validation for their inclusion within the classroom. The benefits of gaming are clear and the students enjoy it, thus finding a game that incorporates levels of skill development relevant to the students’ needs should be considered as a pedagogical tool within the classroom.

Video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPbiD7SHTCU

Starting young.

Lauren B — Wed, 21 May 2008 11:14:28 +0000

There was a recent article in the Sunday Telegraph by Miawling Lam depicting the extent to which children are being exposed to technology. The article titled ‘Kids find computers are child’s play’ tells how children as young as two are being introduced to word-processing and design programs in order to prepare them for life in the digital era. Students at childcare centres are using these technologies on a daily basis, which are providing stimulating experiences that they will incorporate for learning later in life. The article states that children’s skills are a lot more advanced, as they are starting to learn using a variety of digital resources earlier. So what does this mean for teaching technology in primary schools? Teachers will be required to develop their skills in using digital media to extend the learning experiences of students. It may initially be arduous to implement this level of digital media, however the benefits are obvious as the children “absolutely love it”.

Source: Lam, M. (2008, May 4). Kids find computers are child’s play. The Sunday Telegraph. p. 16

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/machado17/147294427/

Scratching the Surface.

Lauren B — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:37:12 +0000

The MIT Media lab has developed a program turning ‘kids from media consumers into media producers’. Stephanie Schorow, in her article Creating from Scratch, purports that the Scratch software unleashes kids’ creativity online. Scratch enables students to make their own interactive stories, games, music and animation that can then be uploaded onto the web. While this seems a challenging task to be achieved by children, Scratch opens the gate for all to benefit, enabling students to create interactive stories and games that could previously only be achieved by computer programmers. This new software is simple to use; students place together graphical blocks to develop their creations and promotes that using this software doesn’t require the students to understand the jargon of traditional programming languages, including punctuation and syntax. Designed for kids aged 8 years and up, Scratch gets the students to think creatively and solve problems systematically which The MIT Media Lab believes are skills critical to success in the 21^st century. The biggest benefit this program provides is that the students’ creations can be shared with other kids within an online community, providing them inspiration and feedback to further develop their work. With input from children when developing Scratch, the MIT Media Lab have created a program with no limit to what students can achieve. The variety of stories and games reflect a diverse range of imaginations, catering to any topic which enables them to capture their thoughts and ideas, an aspect that I feel to be especially valuable to the construction process. Positive responses to the software by students and teachers are obvious when you explore the final products that have been submitted on the website. These examples are inspirational when you consider that the animations were created by children, so check out http://scratch.mit.edu/ .