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.

Week 5 - Powerpoint

Please watch my interactive Powerpoint below. 

 

(This powerpoint was created using Microsoft Powerpoint and then uploaded onto Authorstream)

Personally, I love Powerpoint. It might be due to the fact that I am largely a visual learner, and I love the way information can be condensed into a few slides of text. I emphasise a "few" slides because I am all too familiar with being bored to death in the classroom when viewing slide after slide of words that could be summarised to avoid the entire class falling asleep. 

I recall an assignment on Canada I had in grade 6 where I recorded my oral speech and had it play over my slides with pre-recorded transitions. While this is very basic in ways to use Powerpoint, the class thought I had the help of my dad to make it, which I did not! After doing some research I have found Powerpoints can be used for so much more than just oral speeches.

In the classroom, using an interactive element is a fantastic way to engage the user, rather than simply clicking through slides of information. Some examples of interactive Powerpoints are virtual tour/museums, interactive tutorials, embedding videos/sound clips and "make your own ending" stories. Some of these could be made by the teacher as a means to learn, or they could be created by the student as a means to display and integrate information.

Week 4 - Assignment 1: Reflection 3

Engagement this week required the creation and use of image, audio and video on the web. All three media's are fantastic ways to engage with information in ways other than written text that can attend to a range of learning styles. Video, audio and images can communicate messages, engage students in discussion, debates, talks, stories, recounts, and provide thought-provoking insight or just to simply entertain.  

• Click here to view an embedded image in my blog
• Click here to listen to my audio recording on PodOmatic
• Click here to watch my video recording on Youtube

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

Curriculum: Maths

Topic: Learning multiplication

• Students can create an audio recording of a "word problem" to swap with a partner to solve
• Students can create a video recording of a "how to" sequence to solve a multiplication equation on a whiteboard
• Students can take pictures of real-life objects around the classroom to create a "picture problem"

Prior to completing this week's engagement, I had not considered how fantastic, and easy, the integration of medias into lesson plans could be. I am now excited to use them in future plans to ensure further engagement of my learners.

Week 4 - Video

Please watch my video recording below of this week's reflection on Videos. 

(This video was created by recording myself with my laptop's in-built webcam and microphone on Windows Live Moviemaker. The file was then saved and uploaded onto Youtube.)

Transcript:
These days video is everywhere. Almost every household has at least one television, sometimes one in every room. Increasing ease of access from mobile devices also means that video such as new release movies are now available in places that just a few years ago the only entertainment was a good book.

Youtube is one of the most popular sites currently on the web. Videos ranging from TED Talks, funny videos and tutorials on just about ANYTHING are available for anyone to access. Additionally, just about anyone can upload a video. All that is required is a computer and a camera - which many smart phones have.

With the introduction of C2C (Curriculum into the Classroom) in schools across Queensland, video is now commonly integrated into lessons. In my opinion, video is the easiest and most engaging resource to use in the classroom. It can be used a number of ways to present information such as simply recording a procedure, oral information report, or reading a narrative. It can be used in more creative ways, such as recording a performance of acting out a character, or as a video journal to record thoughts and feelings on a subject. Video could even be used to record student's acting out a story, maybe with an alternative ending.The possibilities are endless.

Week 4: Podcasts/Audio

Please listen to my voice recording below of this week's reflection on Podcasts/Audio.

 

(This recording was made by recording my voice with my HTC XL android phone and transferred the audio file onto my laptop. I then uploaded the file onto PodOmatic.)

Transcript: 
In an increasingly mobile/tech-based world we are faced with bright and over stimulating visuals on screens everywhere we look. However, in the absence of these flashing screens we are not left information-less. Audio is yet another way for information, discussion, debate, stories etc to be communicated. In fact, anyone who drives a car is immersed in listening to the radio. Audio can be made in such a way that enables the listener to create their own images in their head and thus is many student's preferred way of learning.

Audio can be presented in a number of ways. Some of these are podcasts, e-books, radio shows or a recording of a conference or meeting. For anyone that drives long distances it can be fantastic way to unlock "hidden" study time or just to find out more about something that interests them. Personally, I enjoy listening to TED Talk education related podcasts by loading them on my phone and listening in the the car on my 30 minute drive home. Podcasts are smaller in file size and load quicker than most videos. I also enjoy listening to Triple J's "The Hack" discussions in the afternoons on current affairs as they are informative and are kept relevant to listeners. 

There are many ways audio can be used in the classroom and integrated into lessons. Upon entering the classroom after lunch, playing a short audio clip can allow students to relax and re-focus to be ready for learning. Playing e-books rather than always reading out loud can save a teacher's voice. Listening to snippets of radio shows, podcasts and TED Talks can be thought-provoking and a great "hook" to start lessons. 

Sadly, I hadn't considered using audio in the classroom before. However, upon investigating ways to integrate audio into lessons I am now full of ideas that I can't wait to use in future planning.

Week 4 - Images

Images have a fantastic ability to communicate messages without a word spoken. One message can be understood across the globe with no translation required. Look at any social networking site and you will the majority of posts are images. The popular smartphone app, Instagram is based purely on the sharing of images. On the other hand, an image can conjure many different thoughts, feelings and opinions that vary from person to person which can ignite discussion and understanding.

I have had lots of experience with uploading images to various places on the web such as websites, social networking sites, photo sharing sites and blogs (see week 2 of my blog) and know all about sitting and watching (for what seems like forever) as an image slowly loads. Resizing is a solution to this. In fact, many sites resize images automatically so they are quicker to open and view. This unfortunately means that if you want to save a picture from one of these sites it is no longer suitable for anything other than web use.

In the classroom, images can be used in many ways. A simple yet emotionally-fueled image can be a useful "hook" when introducing a topic. Stories can be shared using only pictures, such as a stop motion movie. Recounts and procedural texts can be presented in image form in as a powerpoint presentation.

Image by 5days

Week 3 - Assignment 1: Reflection 2

Engagement this week required the creation of a blog, a wiki and a website. I found all three to be extremely easy to create and use and are appropriate for all primary school students. Information can be presented, discussed, debated, read and updated easily and in an organised way.

• Click here to view my Managing E-Learning Weebly Website
• Click here to view my Managing E-Learning Wiki

Some suggestions on how these three online spaces could be used in a primary school classroom are as follows:

Curriculum: English
Topic: Students are required to consider the story of a young convict girl - Eliza Bird.

• Use a blog to create a journal Eliza may have written, using her point of view and a recount of events that took place.
• Use a wiki to complete a jigsaw activity where each student is given a character from the book and the student uploads thoughts, feelings, opinions on the events that took place talking from the characters point of view
• Use a blog to synthesise what they have learnt about Eliza Bird including facts, dates, anecdotes and pictures.

With education now being all about "21st century learners" who grace their presence in our classrooms, I believe online spaces are great tools to engage, integrate knowledge and use to teach the curriculum.

Week 3 - Websites

Click here to view my Managing E-Learning Weebly website.

I found creating a website via Weebly very easy and user friendly. I did however feel compelled to edit it further and I felt the design process was too "basic" for me. If I had the opportunity, I would prefer to create a website from scratch using HTML, in order to express my skills and creativity and would keep me more interested in the design process. 

Due to its functionality students could easily create websites to display information for an assignment - and perhaps is a great alternative to the good ol' poster charts. Websites are great for displaying information about certain topics in an organised way, as "subheadings" can be placed on separate pages and linked from the home page. However, websites are "static" so would not be appropriate for a project where students were required to regularly update or to collate information.

Week 3 - Wikis

Click here to view my Managing E-Learning wiki.

I have actually used Wikis previously in a group assessment setting and found it to be a positive experience. The main reason the group decided to use it was because members had difficulty arranging face to face meetings due to other commitments and instead could log on anytime at home to share ideas for the assessment task. It was especially helpful when we were required to develop a script for an oral presentation. Each member was able to place their paragraph into the document and edit according to the other members to ensure the ideas within the script were sequential and flowed well. 

I believe that wikis are fantastic in a classroom setting because of the ability to share ideas, opinions and build prior knowledge. It is a perfect example utilising a constructivist approach, using Vygotsky's zone of proximal development theory in a 21st Century technology-based context.

Week 3 - Blogs

After creating my blog using Google Blogger I have found blogs are extremely easy to use - just pick a template and type. If required, they are slightly customisable. The simplicity means they are easy to read and are in a "journal" structure where posts are organised by date.  I think this is great for classrooms in primary grades, however, the customise option is perhaps too simple for students who possess advanced web development and coding skills and can limit the ability to express their creativity and technological ability.

Blogs are free and accessible by anyone who has an internet connection - to read one or create one. This can be great in the classroom because a blog can be accessed by other students, the teacher, parents at home, or even students on the other side of the world which brings a sense of "global" to education. On the other hand, easy access to create also means that a blog can be a single person's opinion and knowledge - whether or not it is correct because it can be difficult to know the poster's credentials. 

Week 2 - Assignment 1: Reflection 1

Wikispaces is a tool used frequently in education because of its application of real life learning in an online environment, allowing users to participate in discussion in a simple and organised way. While there are some drawbacks to using this type of platform for discussion, if used in conjunction with the de Bono scaffolding many constructive viewpoints can be presented in order to present a “whole picture” response to an issue.

Wikispaces allows for social learning and collaboration, therefore it lies under the constructivism theory and more specifically, social constructivism – the idea that students can learn by sharing knowledge with one another. The fact that posts were editable so that opinions/ideas/disagreements/agreements could be expressed in an organised way is an obvious characteristic of a collaborative environment. I believe this type of activity holds great value for students as sometimes it is difficult to realise a different point of view until it is mentioned to you. I believe it also applies to general constructivism where prior knowledge is tapped into and used to complete a task. I found wikispaces to be very similar to other forums I have personally used such as facebook and reddit so I was able to easily transfer what I knew from those to wikispaces in terms of formatting, navigation and the embedding of a youtube video and images, as well as knowing general “netiquette”.

As I was late to enrol in this subject I found I missed out on the crucial time where the sharing of fresh ideas and raw discussion took place. However, after browsing through the other students’ pages I found that most of my own ideas and opinions on the subject of mobile phones in classrooms were universally agreed upon so I do not feel I missed out. This is an obvious drawback to anyone who is not available to participate straight away, as by the time I viewed the pages a lot of the same ideas had been rehashed and mentioned numerous times. Due to the high amount of self-edited information, Wikispaces is also an environment where readers can be easily swayed by others opinions and ideas. I can relate to this as I am impressionable and have the ability to see all points as valid. While this is a good attribute or not, I’m not sure.

Sometimes my thinking can be cluttered and unorganised. I tend to be cynical at the best of times so I can easily focus on the negatives even if I know it is a great idea. On the other hand, as mentioned earlier I am impressionable so I can see all points as valid and have trouble making decisions. Because of this, I particularly enjoyed the de Bono thinking scaffold which allowed me to “think” in a sequential and organised way. I found it interesting that the Black Hat or Negatives was placed first, because this is also the first aspect I focus on when faced with an issue. I found that moving onto the other coloured hats guided me to draw myself away from the negatives because usually I would remain stuck on them, consequently getting even more confused about the matter.

All in all, my wikispaces participation was a positive experience while being a learning curve in regards to the way I think about issues that I come across in my everyday life. I feel I am now able to face issues with confidence knowing that it is okay to see the negatives, but it is important to then move on to consider the other viewpoints. I found wikispaces to be extremely user-friendly and I am eager to utilise the tool in any of the numerous group assessments I have coming up.

Week 2 - TPACK

The TPACK Framework proves that the mocking quote "Those who cannot do, teach" is completely wrong.

TPACK means that in order to teach you in fact do need the skills (technological knowledge). You need to have a knowledge of what needs to be taught (content knowledge) and you need to know how to teach it (pedagogical knowledge).

TPACK clearly outlines what teachers require "under their belt" at the most basic sense in order to cater for their students needs.

Image by Cary Academy

Week 2 - Pedagogy

While there are many ways to "teach" I think it is important to have your own pedagogical approach. My personal preferences are pedagogies which extend on prior knowledge and utilise the connection and/or construction of knowledge, such as:

- Problem-based curriculum

- Knowledge integration

- Connectedness to the world

- Background Knowledge

I think, for me, these hit home because of the way lesson planning is based on these areas which has been ingrained in my mind as the foundation of pedagogical practice. I especially like the metaphor below as it rings true to the fact that students usually have the prior knowledge but just need us, the teachers, to bring those prior experiences together to ignite connections and feed their interest.

Image by quotespictures.com

Also I am a big believer in connecting with your students on a level that allows for trust and comfort. Hearing your student's stories and anecdotes when you ask questions like "where have you seen something like this before?" allows your students to open up to you in ways that aren't possible otherwise. This then results in you being able to personalise the learning experience for your student. 

Week 1 - Learning Theory

These two topics help educators really know about how students can learn best. A good teacher will cater for individual students (learner-centered). A "one-size fits all" approach is not a good way to ensure students remain inspired and engaged with the content you are teaching. 

It can be the difference between your class remaining on task with enjoyment and interest in the content, or getting off-task which can lead to classroom management issues. This is where Marc Prensky's quote "Engage me or enrage me" speaks truth. A great teacher will inspire their students and in turn, experience a busy and productive classroom.

Image by quotesoflifes.com

Learning theory is an interesting topic and fundamental to good teaching practices. There are many theories on how students best learn and ways that are best to teach content. They have been narrowed down to 5 major theories:

- Behaviourism consists of a single clearly defined outcome that will be eventually mastered by all students. This is where rote learning would be appropriate.

- Cognitivism talks about mental processess, the sensory register, short term and long term memory. 

- Constructivism believes that learning is social and support is vital. Group work and collaboration is important as students can learn off one another. Constructivism also constructs upon prior knowledge.  Giving your student opportunities to experience or recall prior experiences would help here.

- Connectivism is all about identifying how and where to find knowledge, rather than know it all.

I could go on for days about all the aspects of education that I feel passionate about but I honestly believe that knowing how your learner learns, and how you can best teach makes for a very successful classroom.