20
January
2011
Becker (2000) believes computers are ‘valuable and well functioning instructional tools in schools and classrooms’, however, studies have revealed that teachers are still only using the internet/ computers for low level tasks not for the webquest and advanced researched they should be used for. Schools need to provide access to computers and the interent, teacher need to be prepared and be allowed freedom within the curriculum and believe somewhat in the constructivist theory/ pedagogy of teaching in order for high level tasks to be completed on the computers as well not just low level ones. There have been laws/ acts passed in some US states outlining that teachers must integrate technology into their curriculum for the purpose of improving student achievement and topic knowledge. ‘Technology is now considered by most educators and parents to be an integral part of providing a high quality education’
The objective of the Brown article is to ‘raise awareness of the tensions, hidden curriculum and non-educational intentions enmeshed within recent efforts to transform schooling through the so-called new ways of (e)learning’ of pedagogical teaching and learning. The focus of this article is the problems teachers face with the new technological way that students are now learning, and the difficulties teachers are facing, but also how they are trying to overcome these struggles. It also outlines the importance of ICT’s in the classroom for both teacher and students. This article being Australian is much more relevant than the Ertmer one as it is about the Australian curriculum and schools and is based on Australian statistics.
What is technology integration?
Technology integrations is using technological resources within a classroom environment such as computers, digital cameras, the internet and webquests being integrated into regular classroom lessons not as a separate lesson. It is achieved through introducing technology into the daily routine and when it is part of the teacher and student lives without them acknowledging that they are using the computer or internet, but rather that they just simply do it without thinking. Technology needs to be accessible and available for students and teachers to be integrated in it.
Discuss how technology integration can be improved in the classroom?
Technology integration could be improved in the classroom by teachers allowing students to use computers more often as this is what they are increasingly becoming more familiar and comfortable with rather than reading and writing from or in books. It could also be improved by teachers becoming more au fait with the technical world and using it in there everyday lives and encouraging their students to do it as well.
How can schools improve ICT being taught in NSW?
Schools in NSW can improve ICT being taught by giving schools more funding to enable all classrooms have computer and internet access. By doing this it gives more students and teachers to improve their technological knowledge and abilities. Also, by school curriculum’s adding more ICT to their programs so all have the opportunity to experience the technological advancements in the world today.
I believe these readings to be truthful as today’s classroom are changing and teachers need to be aware of these changes and be given the knowledge of our to deal with these changes and adapt them into a classroom environment, if not it is at the detriment of the students. As a future teacher I expect to see students using computers more than what I did as a student at primary school and that the students will be even more comfortable using computers than what I am as they grew up with them and are even more apart of the ‘digital native’ generation than I am.
And the school bell rings marking the end of the day…
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19
January
2011
The World Wide Web (or WWW) is a database of online information that all can access and links to other relevant information so that any one using it can quickly and effectively find what they are looking for. However, not all information on the WWW is relevant or factual as anyone can submit or edit information, for example Wikipedia the online encyclopedia can be edited by anyone. In order for a teacher to avoid there students coming across the wrong thing / information on the internet they can use and create ‘Webquests’ for their students. Webquests are online inquiry based activities which are created to be conducive for a constructivist learning environment, that promotes higher order thinking. webquests are used for complex topics that require a deeper understanding .
There are two levels of webquests:
Short Term – these webquests are designed to be completed by a class in one to three lessons
and Long Term – which are designed to be completed in a week or up to as long as a month for more advanced / complex topics.
Webquests aim to develop the following skills:
Comparing
Classifying
Inducing
Deducing
Analyzing errors
Constructing support
Abstraction
Analyzing perspectives
- Marzano, 1992 Some Thoughts about Blogs’
Webquests are designed to guide the students through a process of learning in stages that build upon each other and inform the students about complex ideas and topics. These stages are:
Introduction – introduce the topic, problem or issue
Task Page – outlines the end result of where students should be after completing all stages
Proccess Page – assigns different tasks and roles to the students and tells them the steps required to complete the tasks
Assessment Page – states how the students should complete their work
Conclusion Page – a debrief/ summary of the tasks
Teacher’s Page – provides additional information to assist
Credits/ Reference Page – acknowledges sources
Which learning styles does this ICT support?
The webquest as an ICT supports those learners who have experience with technology and are part of the ‘digital native’ generation. As webquests incorporate online games and online researching the students need to be’ technologically savvy’ and aware of the technical world. Webquests especially focuses on kinesthetic and visual learners, like most aspects of ICT learning.
How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
The webquest requires students to develop a deeper understanding of various/ differing topics through online games and research. This ICT is a good cognitive tool as it encourages collaborative learning between students and work with their peers and their teacher. Students also have the chance to develop their technological abilities and improve their knowledge of certain topics. The webquests give step by step instructions so it is suitable for all learners, therefore are not too many disadvantages to this ICT except for the fact that it is not very teacher orientated.
How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
Webquests allow students to develop their creativity within the world wide web domain. Through using their own knowledge of the WWW and the experimentation of the webquest students are encouraged to present their findings in the way they see fit and most conducive to the way they learn. Webquests are not just created by teachers, but also by students, this enables them to show off their technological creativity as they work together to create the program / process required for a webquest.
Students working on an interactive white board
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19
January
2011
IWBs or interactive whiteboards focus on a higher order thinking, involving:
- investigation
- discussion
- sorting
- labelling
- simulation
And also allows students to be aware of their learning and actively involved in it (metacognition). Interactive whiteboards allow real life situations to be taught throught the power or digital media. Although they should not be used as the teacher, simply the technology as they are only amplifies of teaching and topics. IWB’s combine elements of both a constructivist classroom and a traditionalist classroom as students are learning in new digitial ways but are also focusing on their teacher and what they are saying but through the aid of an interactive whiteboard not a text book. Interactive whiteboards are a fun, interactive way of teaching and learning for both student and teacher. And allow for independent ideas and thoughts and open ended questioning. Interactive whiteboards promote intellectual quality through enhancing reflections and sharing experiences between teacher and student as well as connectedness between teacher and student and among the students themselves. IWBs also promote a supportive learning environment where everyone can learn and understand.
Which learning styles does this ICT support?
Interactive whiteboards are a teahing and learning tool that would assist kinaesthetic and visual learners, as they learn through manipulating objects and in in a hands on way. Interactive whiteboards also would be beneficial for visual or hearing impaired students as images, video clips and sounds can be added to the lessons flip chart, ensuring that this method of teaching would cater for all students.
How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
Interactive Whiteboard activites act as a way of improving students abilities to:
- communicate with their teacher and thier peers
- make connections between varying topics, concepts and subjects and use thier prior knowledge
- and use socially relevant situations in learning
How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
This ICT develops creativity by giving students the knowledge and ability to work together and critically analyse information presented to them. It also gives them the opportunity to discuss their ideas and correct their own mistakes through asking open ended questions. Interactive whiteboards also allow students to increase their social skills which too can help develop their creativity.
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19
January
2011
The article by Brewer, J & Danne, C.J, talks about the importance of having a constructivist style classroom, where students work in groups and collaborate with one another, as opposed to a traditional classroom where desks are in rows and students work in silence. This environment is conducive to the ‘digital native’ student and allows them to work and understand to the best of their abilities as they are more able to multitask than the ‘digital immigrant’. The constructivist classroom is an environment where information is actively constructed rather than passively received, that is knowledge is gained not through the teacher talking and the student learning but rather the student talking and listening to their peers and using materials to discover results as well as using the internet and other digital technology devices. Prior knowledge is an important element of a constructivist classroom as students are not seen as ‘empty vessels’. Teachers acknowledge prior knowledge and encourage students to build upon it.
This article states that there are many methods to problem solve, an element that is very important to the constructivist theory, as students need the opportunity to learn how problems can be solved in different ways, this too encourages social interaction as students discuss and brainstorm different theories or ways of solving a certain problem.
Which learning style does this ICT support?
The constructivist theory can be relevant to all learning styles as it does not explicitly apply to just a visual learner, or an audio learner, or a kinesthetic learner. If a classroom is managed under this theory there should be appropriate ways for each student to learn to the best of their abilities, and be taught in a manner that is suitable to them. Due to the hands – on nature of ICT the learning style it would support the best would be a kinesthetic learner as with lessons being taught on interactive white boards this allows students to participate in the lesson in an actively whilst still aiding the other learning styles with visual aids and teacher explanations. Aural learners would also benefit because the constructivist classroom is not one of silence, it is encouraged that students work together and ask questions. This ICT would support visual learners too as a constructivist classroom is one with visual aids.
How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
“There are no set guidelines or recipes for teachers to follow to become constructivist teacher” (Breweer & Daane, 2002) so teachers must use trial and error with the class to see if it could be used as a good cognitive tool. The constructivist classroom is one where the students govern themselves and assist with their own teaching and learning. It is not like the traditional classroom, where students were not able to learn from one another or talk. This ICT can be a good cognitive tool within a learning environment as it allows students to learn in the way they are most comfortable and be able to learn to the best of their ability.
How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
A constructivist classroom allows students to learn in the way they feel most comfortable and can achieve at, it is the teachers responsibility to make sure this opportunity is given to the students as when students are given the opportunity to learn in the way they like they will achieve better results and learn more. This ICT also enables creativity to develop in students as it incorporates a more modern way of teaching and learning and if they are learning in the style that is best for them rather than in the traditional style their creative abilities will develop and flourish as well as improving thier social skills (which too can be a creative process).
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14
January
2011
Mobile learning, I believe, has a place in the modern classroom, to an extent. Students should be able to access the internet to research information and play learning related games on the computer but I do not think they should be able to be used in every learning situation or all the time. With the example of the clip on the lecture with the Sesame Stree characters singing a song about there’s an iphone application for pumping bike tyres, hanging a hat and finding rhyming words. Highlighting that today students are relying much too heavily on technological advancements to teach, learn and inform them rather than using trial and error on their own or as a group. This “‘Google Age” (Dawson, C, 2010 ‘Can academic integrity exist in the Google Age?‘) relies very heavily on technology to source and gain information rather than knowing how to use or find books from a library. The google age meaning that if someone does not know they answer they simply will google it. Something I am certainly guilty of aswell as my parents and grandmother, who are outside the technological age bracket. Mobile learning I believe is vast becoming the way in which we learn, and not just in a school situation. It is becoming increasingly easy in today’s modern age to gain and access information with most phones having the internet and pretty much every household having atleast one computer that can access it aswell.
1. Which learning style does this ICT support?
Mobile learning supports visual learners as the students have to actively search for the information they are looking for and the internet / other mobile devices allow for detailed pictures, diagrams and videos through the use of such websites as Youtube. For those that learn visually Youtube is an effective tool as it is a visual representation of information. This too can support aural learners as they can listen to the information being presented rather than simply reading information and not retaining it. To a certain extent mobile learning can also aid in providing information for the kinesthetic learner as there are many hands on educational type games for these learners to play.
Mobile Learning – Interactive Games
2. How could this ICT be implemented as a good cognitive tool within the learning environment?
Mobile learning and therefore the internet does not allow for students to provide reasoning or thought provoking responses as the mode of technology can be so refined so that it simply only gives the answer, not an explanation to provide the students with an in depth understanding of a topic. It can also give them the wrong information. To implement this ICT as a good cognitive tool a teacher would have to ensure students only use properly referenced and trusted sites and get them to check their information against what they can find in books , as books must go through a stricter filtration process in order to be published and this the information is much more reliable and relevant
3. How is this ICT enabling the development of creativity?
This mode of ICT enables and develops creativity as have the opportunity to not only search information but also create their own such as through the use of Youtube. Through this site students can create videos about a topic and post them to Youtube. In this particular form of media. Students are encouraged to be as creative as possible through this particular media. Also through the use of online games and the interactive whiteboard. One characteristic of the of the ‘digital native’ is that they are creative, this is due to all tools and in information being only one click away.
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12
January
2011
Mind Map - Digital Native & Digital Immigrant
- click to view full image -
This mind map was created to highlight the differences between the current generation of students and their teachers and/ or parents. It also outlines the difficulties that will be faced by teachers who have not been given the knowledge about technology and how to use it in the classroom through the differences between the two technology generations.
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11
January
2011
The article ‘Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants’ by Marc Prensky is about the rise of teachers using interactive whiteboards and other digital medias in classroom environments, due to them believing “our students have changed radically”. As much as I follow the advancements of technology and believe they do have a place in society and the classroom, I do not believe they need to be apart of every lesson and topic. As I think students should still be aware of the (now) more basic ways of learning, such as teacher/ student, pen and paper.
I have always loved reading, and still read a book atleast 4 times a week, this article states that by a time a student reaches college age they have spent approximately double the amount of time playing video games and approximately four times the amount of time watching TV. This realisation of todays students is quite shocking but also encourages those who are currently studying teaching, like myself, to be aware and to adapt themselves and their lesson plans and find ways to incorporate the modern technology with their own individual ways of teaching. So both student and teacher are comfortable and confident in how and what they are learning.
Prensky states that teachers must move from being ‘Digital Immigrants’ meaning unfamiliar with technological advancements in education into being ‘Digital Natives’ meaning that they know, understand, accept, and appreciate technology and are able and willing to incorporate into their teaching. Prensky also believes that teachers must use students as guides so technology can be used and accepted in all subject areas. I believe that both these statements made and researched by Prensky are completly relevant for todays modern classroom, to an extent. Yes, every class should be able to be presented in a technological savvy manner, but not always as students need to be aware of other ways of learning, as do teachers need to be able to cater for the individual learning styles of each student.
Bennett, calls ‘Digital Natives’ the ‘Net Generation’ which I believe to be a very true name for the up and coming students. Although a huge generalisation, the majority of children/ students these days know how to use computers, and spend plenty of time playing and working video games and consoles, fully immersing themselves into a technological life. It is stated in this article that there is a very significant difference between this generations ‘Information and communication technology (ICT)’ than the next generations knowledge and capabilities so education must enable and cater for these advancements, and allow the students to develop their ICT creativity and knowledge.
In this article it states that ‘digital natives’ are born between the years of 1980 and 1994 (Prensky, 2001 in Bennett, S). I do not believe in this research/ findings as that places me in the ‘digital native’ catergory which is not somewhere I would place myself as I do not think I am nearly where near as technological savvy as younger generations as we were not allowed to use calculators, we only used computers on the very rare occasion for typing lessons, and assignments were all hand written while I was in primary school. Yes, there were video games but they are no where near as advanced as today’s games and consoles.
Overall, I absolutely believe that to some degree it is important to adapt lessons so children who are digital natives to be able to use their technological knowledge in a classroom environment, but as I have previously stated, not all the time and not in every situation as I think it is important that children are still aware of more simpler ways of learning. This is due to the fact technology can not always be correct (ie Google) and can break, shut down or delete work or information. As stated by Prensky (2001)”Today’s students are no longer the people our education system was designed to teach.” As a classroom teacher in a few years to come, I will be aware and use my knowledge of the digital world but also teach my students how to write, read, reference and source information via books and pens and paper too, as I believe this to be important.
Thanks for reading 
The Modern World
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4
January
2011
Hello world. This is me. Life should be, fun for everyone.
- Stephanie Emerson
- 21
- Education Student at Notre Dame, Sydney
- The Queen
- Pink
- Music
- Television/ Movies
- Reading
well that’s all i got for now.
SeeYouBye x
~Why are you trying so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out?~
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3
January
2011
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