Sunday, March 28, 2010
My thoughts on Wikis and Blogs in schools.
After creating a wiki, which is still under construction, I can see enormous benefits of these in classrooms. I believe this medium can be utilised by many year levels including younger school children to not only learn through the use of advanced technology but also share and teach others what they have learned.
As children grow and become more saturated with so many kinds of technology the question we should ask ourselves is why not use it to their advantage? By having students, either as a class or in smaller groups formulate ideas for wikis through class oriented projects they will gain a range of learning experiences that can be translated again and again across many disciplines. As suggested by Kearsley and Schneiderman in their article "Engagement Theory" (1998) using the theory, "relate, create, donate" (1998) students who are engaged in technology and able to use it with a real world issue will benefit more than students who are disengaged and see no relevance to the subject matter in their day to day lives.
The ideas for wikis are quite simply endless and can be stretched across all the KLAs and disciplines which as Heath explains in his article about Mode 2 knowledge is a much more effective tool for teaching than its predecessor. (Heath G. 2001) For example, students can create wikis about good budgeting. This would relate well to Maths as well as SOSE and HPE. Maths provides the tools to understand values, SOSE provides the opportunity to see how budgets can be used throughout society i.e. in government and HPE can also benefit from budgets because a budget may not simply include money but also healthy eating and exercise strategies. By enabling the students to be actively involved in the creation and implementation of wikis for classroom activities learning can go from being simply a staid teacher-centric experience where students are simply fed the information from the teacher, to a much more student-centric approach. Students can in fact become the teachers through wikis.
The use of a blog in classes can be of great assistance to not just a teacher but the students themselves. Blogs can be created for so many differing situations, charting a learner's progress to maintaining lines of communication and gauging what students want to learn. A blog can also be a great way to enable students to journal creative thinking. Perhaps using blogs to get students to create a story over the course of a term. At the end students can reflect on what they have learned about different aspects of writing, punctuation and how a story is constructed.
As Learning Managers, I think we have an obligation to create exciting, engaging and meaningful learning experiences that students can take with them and employ in their lives. Technology can take students' learning in so many directions, it is up to us as Learning Managers to provide the opportunities and frameworks that will enable this to happen.
References:
Heath G Teacher Education and the New Knowledge Environment 2001
Kearsley G and Schneiderman B. Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning 1998
As children grow and become more saturated with so many kinds of technology the question we should ask ourselves is why not use it to their advantage? By having students, either as a class or in smaller groups formulate ideas for wikis through class oriented projects they will gain a range of learning experiences that can be translated again and again across many disciplines. As suggested by Kearsley and Schneiderman in their article "Engagement Theory" (1998) using the theory, "relate, create, donate" (1998) students who are engaged in technology and able to use it with a real world issue will benefit more than students who are disengaged and see no relevance to the subject matter in their day to day lives.
The ideas for wikis are quite simply endless and can be stretched across all the KLAs and disciplines which as Heath explains in his article about Mode 2 knowledge is a much more effective tool for teaching than its predecessor. (Heath G. 2001) For example, students can create wikis about good budgeting. This would relate well to Maths as well as SOSE and HPE. Maths provides the tools to understand values, SOSE provides the opportunity to see how budgets can be used throughout society i.e. in government and HPE can also benefit from budgets because a budget may not simply include money but also healthy eating and exercise strategies. By enabling the students to be actively involved in the creation and implementation of wikis for classroom activities learning can go from being simply a staid teacher-centric experience where students are simply fed the information from the teacher, to a much more student-centric approach. Students can in fact become the teachers through wikis.
The use of a blog in classes can be of great assistance to not just a teacher but the students themselves. Blogs can be created for so many differing situations, charting a learner's progress to maintaining lines of communication and gauging what students want to learn. A blog can also be a great way to enable students to journal creative thinking. Perhaps using blogs to get students to create a story over the course of a term. At the end students can reflect on what they have learned about different aspects of writing, punctuation and how a story is constructed.
As Learning Managers, I think we have an obligation to create exciting, engaging and meaningful learning experiences that students can take with them and employ in their lives. Technology can take students' learning in so many directions, it is up to us as Learning Managers to provide the opportunities and frameworks that will enable this to happen.
References:
Heath G Teacher Education and the New Knowledge Environment 2001
Kearsley G and Schneiderman B. Engagement Theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning 1998
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Woohoo, I think I have got them all..
I think I have managed to track down everyone's blog addresses and started following you all... That sounds a bit creepy doesn't it? If I have missed you, please send me a gentle reminder in the commments and I will fix it up ASAP.
I am still struggling through creating a Wiki, hopefully I get that finished by the weekend. It has been a case of total mental block in that regard. However, I have looked at everyone's Wikis so far and I must say I am very impressed. I think the students of the future are in for a few surprises and some excellent learning experiences if we can maintain this thirst and appreciation of incorporating technology into our classes.
And the advantage of having technologically savvy students means that learning can happen almost anywhere. Students and learning managers alike can share information, ideas and experiences in ways that were never before possible.
We are definitely in for exciting times....
I am still struggling through creating a Wiki, hopefully I get that finished by the weekend. It has been a case of total mental block in that regard. However, I have looked at everyone's Wikis so far and I must say I am very impressed. I think the students of the future are in for a few surprises and some excellent learning experiences if we can maintain this thirst and appreciation of incorporating technology into our classes.
And the advantage of having technologically savvy students means that learning can happen almost anywhere. Students and learning managers alike can share information, ideas and experiences in ways that were never before possible.
We are definitely in for exciting times....
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Week Three....copious overtime at work and uni studies. DO NOT MIX
So this week started with a ridiculous amount of overtime at work which invariably made time to actually study next to impossible. But many late nights and the aide of toothpicks to keep my eyes open, I got through.
Surprisingly I even managed to comprehend what I read this week too. And to be honest, everything I read could not have come at a better time.
This week I learned about the Dimensions of Learning and how the 8 Learning Management Questions complement eachother to create this dynamic way of teaching or creating effective learning experiences.
This week at work we have undergone a major shift in how we work and using the first DoL about attitudes and perceptions was an enormous help just to survive. Being positive about what I was learning enabled me to a. not go completely insane and b. to actually accomplish meaningful headway.
This week could have been a total nightmare had it not been for the new concepts and methods for dealing with the adversities I was facing. And I think it has given me a great insight into how young students feel when they know they are about to start learning something new. By going in with a positive attitude I think I was able to not only make the adjustments easier for myself but my attitudes and perceptions were rubbing off on those around me too.
Costa's Habits of Mind have also given me a lot to think about. While I like what Marzano has created with the DoL, I feel like if I can combine the elements from both Costa's HoM and Marzano's DoL then I am availing myself to the best of many theories....
Happy studies everyone!
Surprisingly I even managed to comprehend what I read this week too. And to be honest, everything I read could not have come at a better time.
This week I learned about the Dimensions of Learning and how the 8 Learning Management Questions complement eachother to create this dynamic way of teaching or creating effective learning experiences.
This week at work we have undergone a major shift in how we work and using the first DoL about attitudes and perceptions was an enormous help just to survive. Being positive about what I was learning enabled me to a. not go completely insane and b. to actually accomplish meaningful headway.
This week could have been a total nightmare had it not been for the new concepts and methods for dealing with the adversities I was facing. And I think it has given me a great insight into how young students feel when they know they are about to start learning something new. By going in with a positive attitude I think I was able to not only make the adjustments easier for myself but my attitudes and perceptions were rubbing off on those around me too.
Costa's Habits of Mind have also given me a lot to think about. While I like what Marzano has created with the DoL, I feel like if I can combine the elements from both Costa's HoM and Marzano's DoL then I am availing myself to the best of many theories....
Happy studies everyone!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Week Two... I am still surviving.
Another week and what seems like another six million pages of readings to do. Luckily I think I am starting to get a handle on this time management thing. I have worked out a pretty good routine where I can go to work (and not focus on studying for a while), then come and put in a few hours of solid study time. The forums for the course are making it so much easier to gauge where everyone is and also what they are thinking..
This week has really challenged my thinking not just about how I thought I would teach, but also how I have learned best. I think it is an easy trap to fall into especially as a teacher to go with what feels natural and most easy for you as the teacher. But in the end, it isn't my learning that needs to be fostered, it is the learning of the whole.
I guess at the end of all of this I can only hope that as the powerpoint suggests, I can engage my learners.. If I can use the tools available to me, the things surrounding me not just to teach with, but to enhance the learning then I am on the right track.
This week has really challenged my thinking not just about how I thought I would teach, but also how I have learned best. I think it is an easy trap to fall into especially as a teacher to go with what feels natural and most easy for you as the teacher. But in the end, it isn't my learning that needs to be fostered, it is the learning of the whole.
I guess at the end of all of this I can only hope that as the powerpoint suggests, I can engage my learners.. If I can use the tools available to me, the things surrounding me not just to teach with, but to enhance the learning then I am on the right track.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Week One...and so it begins...
Week one has started, officially anyway, and I have to say I am starting to wonder am I just a little bit crazy? Reading through the copious amount of information and trying to wrap my head around concepts, definitions, to be honest I think I am only understanding about two thirds of what I am reading.
The techno aspect isn't something that I am too worried about, I have been lucky I have grown up with computers and the age of blogs and what not.. Think it might be a case of take a deep breath Sam, dive on in and enjoy the journey to becoming a teacher.
The techno aspect isn't something that I am too worried about, I have been lucky I have grown up with computers and the age of blogs and what not.. Think it might be a case of take a deep breath Sam, dive on in and enjoy the journey to becoming a teacher.
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