Week 7 - Assessment Task 2 Planning - Authentic and Problem Based E-learning

	What it looks like (Contemporary)	What it does not look like (Traditional)
Problem-based Learning	Problem assigned Identify what we need to know to solve it Learn it and apply it to solve the problem Reflect           Student-centred	Told what we need to know Memorise it Problem assigned to illustrate how to use it
Authentic Learning	Scaffolding and support Real-life Expert performance Collaboration Reflection Student-centered	“Real-life is too difficult, too expensive, too time-consuming and too resourceful, to replicate in a classroom” Chalk and talk Memorising and regurgitating for assessment

Year level: 5

Topic: Earth and Space

ACARA Link: The Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the sun) (ACSSU078)

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      You are landing the rover “Curiosity” on Mars. You will need to know how much “supplies (food, water etc) that will last you for the trip there and back so you can take enough.

Assessment Task 1 - Reflective Synopsis

The course Managing E-learning has opened my mind to an entirely new way of teaching. Over the past six weeks I have learnt how important it is to understand and develop a philosophy regarding learning theory and utilising frameworks such as TPACK in order to deliver content in an engaging and interesting way. Moreover, I have been exposed to a number of online learning tools which has allowed me to consider their use in a primary school classroom context in order to cater for 21st century learners.

As I stated in my profile on my blog, I am continually linking course theory and pedagogy to classroom experiences in order to develop my own teaching philosophy. Consequently, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about learning theory in week 1. As I spoke about in week 1’s blog entry, I envision every teacher’s ideal classroom - busy and productive, yet I don’t feel this is possible without an understanding of how students learn best.  Personally, I prefer activities based on constructivism (scaffolding and prior knowledge) and social constructivism (group work and collaboration) as I have previously studied the works of Piaget and Vygotsky who both agree on learning as a “construction” of knowledge. However, I can certainly see the value in utilising behaviourism (rote learning and practice to reach a specific outcome) and connectivism (knowing how and where to find knowledge) where deemed appropriate. All in all, I believe in individualising education (when practical) in order to cater for students in the most engaging way possible.

Which leads me to my next point - the TPACK framework. To me, it is a common-sense approach that really outlines what teachers need in order to implement lessons in the classroom. In my opinion, the TPACK framework can be adhered to and relates to all areas of education, not just online technology. As I mentioned in week 2’s blog entry, the TPACK framework proves that the quote “those who cannot do, teach” is neither encouraging, nor correct when it comes to education. As per the TPACK framework - technological, content and pedagogical knowledge are all required in order to be an effective teacher. When speaking more specifically about e-learning, the skill or the ability to learn to utilise online tools yourself is a must if you have a desire for your students to learn to utilise them. Also, as with any topic, you also must know about the content (online tools and where they fit in the curriculum) before you can expect your students to learn it. Finally, a teacher must have a deep understanding of pedagogy and “how” to teach the use of online tools in a way that caters for all students. I feel the course so far has allowed me to consider all three aspects by actually learning to use the tools for myself while understanding where each activity might fit within the Australian Curriculum in regards to a primary school classroom context. I expect to be keeping the TPACK framework in mind when planning lessons when I become a qualified teacher. Moreover, it has taught me how to use online tools in a legal, safe and ethical way and I will be repeating what I have been taught to ensure my students do the same.

The weekly engagement of the course required the creation or use of a range of Web 2.0 online tools or “digital technologies” that are beyond the static websites which bombard the internet today. Evidence of the use and creation of these technologies can be found in my blog entries. The online tools were organised into four groups – online spaces (such as wikis, blogs and websites), multimedia (such as audio, video and images), presentations (such as powerpoint, prezis and glogsters) and miscellaneous interactive tools (such as Google Earth). As I found out, many online tools can be both created and used by the teacher as an aid or “hook” to a lesson, or can be created or used by the student as a means of gaining or sharing knowledge or as assessment to check for understanding of a topic. Depending on how they are used, many of these tools allow for honing in on problem-solving, analysing, creating and evaluating which align with high-order thinking as per Bloom’s Taxonomy. Each week on my blog I have provided scenarios in which digital technologies could be used in a primary school classroom context however it is not a definitive example. In fact, the opportunities are endless when it comes to integrating online technologies in the classroom.

My concluding statement is this: E-learning is not the way of the future; it is the way of now. If we want our 21st century learners to engage in the content we teach with enjoyment, we need to teach the way they learn best. I am very keen to use what I have learnt so far in Managing E-learning such as learning theory, the TPACK framework and the use and creation of digital technologies in a safe, legal and ethical way, in order to deliver exciting and engaging lessons that cater for individual students when I become a fully-fledged and qualified teacher.

Image by Canadian Executive Coaching

Week 6 - Assignment 1: Reflection 5

Engagement this week required the use of a tool which we could choose from a list. I chose Google Earth as I can remember really enjoying using it when I was younger and I wanted to revisit it's use. The ability to zoom from my house in my hometown to a street on the other side of the world is still just as mind blowing. This program is a fantastic way to attend to visual learners and brings a global aspect to the classroom. It can be a great starting point or be used as an aid for a lesson.

• Click here to watch a recording of my use of Google Earth

Some suggestions on how this tool can be used in a primary school classroom are as follows:

Curriculum: History

Topic: European Settlement

• Students can map the journey the First Fleet took from England to Australia
• Students can "street view" important places of interest and compare today's world with paintings depicting the land at the time of settlement.
• Teachers can show a recording of use as a "hook" to a lesson
• Teachers can quickly search a town or place of interest for the class to view 

As I had not used Google Earth for quite some time it was refreshing to use it with a new point of view with the context of a classroom in mind. I plan to use it frequently in the classroom because I am confident that it is a powerfully engaging tool that students will find fun and interesting.

Week 6 - Google Earth

Please watch a recording of my use of Google Earth below:

After being given a selection of tools to try I just couldn't go past Google Earth. I can recall being a teenager when it was first released and being absolutely mesmerized by it. Having only have traveled out of Queensland twice and never out of Australia, I reveled in searching dream travel destinations such as Paris and Canada and experiencing the visual of virtually "flying" from Mackay, Australia to a luxurious, exotic place. As I am largely a visual learner I enjoy being able to physically understand my position from a global perspective - making me realise I am just a tiny dot in the grand scheme of things. 

Google Earth would be fantastic for the classroom within any lesson when talking about places in the world because a simple search and click brings up an interactive globe that can be viewed at a street, city, state, national or international level. It brings a global aspect to the classroom and can make it personal for a student when there is a visual connection between where they live and a place they are learning about.

Week 5 - Assignment 1: Reflection 4

Engagement this week required the creation of a Powerpoint presentation, a Glogster and a Prezi. While I had used Powerpoint a number of times I had never considered to use it in a way that the user can interact other than "click to go to the next slide". All three tools were surprisingly simple to create, yet are able to be developed further to hone in on skills and creativity. 

• Click here to view my interactive Powerpoint
• Click here to view my Glogster
• Click here to view my Prezi

Some suggestions on how these tools can be used in a primary school classroom are as follows:

Curriculum: Geography

Topic: Countries around the world

• Students can create a "virtual museum" using an interactive Powerpoint to showcase their research about their chosen country (pictures, soundclips etc)
• Teachers can use Glogster to create a virtual worksheet for their students by embedding videos to watch and links to visit so students can complete the activities
• Teachers can use Prezi as a way to introduce a unit - attends to "global" learners who need to see small pieces put together to make a whole picture

I had not used an interactive Powerpoint, a Glogster or a Prezi before and I was a little apprehensive on the use of these in the classroom. However, after creating all three tools myself I am now full of ideas on how to use them within lessons. In fact, I am so inspired I am planning on using a Glogster for a lesson plan for an assessment task this term.

Week 5 - Prezi

Please view my Prezi presentation below.

I will admit that after viewing an example of Prezi used for an assessment task in this week's tutorial, I was nervous to use it for the first time because of how content-filled it can be. It took quite a while to load, I felt the layout was confusing and it could easily flip back and forth as it liked - not a nice, simple and organised way to present information. Well, I was wrong! I used one of the templates available and did a simple presentation of my university journey.

This tool would be great to use in the classroom because it is so simple and easy to use (much to my surprise!), but it has the ability to be as advanced as the user's skills allow it to be. A teacher could place activities, questions and resources into a Prezi for students to access online for an engaging and exciting lesson. Alternatively, the cool zooming transitions between slides gives a modern spin on traditional slideshows.

Week 5 - Glogster

Please view my Glogster below.

(This Glogster was made using Glogster)

While I usually prefer simple layouts and a "minimalist" style of graphics and animation, after being shown an awesome example of how Glogster can be used in this week's tutorial, I was hooked. I love how bright and interesting a Glogster can be - when done right. It was so simple and easy to create something so visually stimulating in a matter of minutes. I was so hooked that I have decided to use Glogster as a digital resource in a Lesson Plan for an assessment task for another course.

Glogsters can be used a number of ways in the classroom, as a more "static" presentation rather than clicking through slides. Videos, links and activities can easily be embedded into the Glogster and the one Glogster can be used as a web-based, interactive "worksheet" - which gives worksheets a chance to break away from the usual stereotype of being "bad pedagogy" when used in the classroom. Alternatively, it can be a way for students to present and integrate information.