Synopsis.

Synopsis:

My E-learning journey has been a great learning experience as I can now incorporate these Information communication technologies in my future teaching. As society is rapidly ever changing with ICT becoming part of everyday practices, it is important as a future learning manager that I incorporate a range of ICT tools into my everyday classroom practices.

In this synopsis I will be investigating and analysing a range of diverse computer and web-based digital tools. I will provide insight to four digital learning tools that relate best to following four categories;

-Access and gain information.
- Consolidate and refine information.
-Transform information to develop new understandings; and
- Present knowledge to an audience.

The first tool that will be discussed in this synopsis is podcasts as this is an engaging tool that students can access and gain information. I created a digital story (see my podcast) reading a book called possum magic. As I believe that this could be used in the classrooms to help the low literacy learners gain information through the use of correct pronunciation as well be even beneficial for those children where English is the second language (see discussion with peers – podcast). Students learning will gain from the use of this ICT tool as Langwitches (2010) describes students are engaged and stimulated through podcasting in the classroom context while developing basic literacy skills.

Podcasts encourage students to use high level of thought through the analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Through the use of podcast in the classroom it allows students to use their creativity, for various students this could be expressed through their writing of scripts, for some perhaps the performing and others could use their creativeness within the editing process. Students are able to express themselves and ‘as educators we need to support the process of learning (creating) as much as the examining of the final product (creation)’ (Reid & Petocz, 2004, pg.52).

The second tool selected to support learners to consolidate and refine information is websites such as wiki. Through exploring Wiki I found a number of benefits of using this tool in the learning environment (see my wiki blog). Before students begin to use Wiki it is important that they are taught about the importance of authenticity of the content delivered by a website, as it is important for students to understand what they read is not always true. As a future learning manager I will need to ensure that I teach my students how to access correct information from reliable resources.

As referred to in my blog that a main feature of this tool is to teach students how to collate and edit information whether this be from class teaching, websites or books. One aspect that stands out to me within the Big 6 framework is how it helps students to learn how to use web materials adequately (see comments with peer – Big 6 Framework). As time in technology lessons can be lost with students trying to locate and access safe and sufficient material. Embedding this framework in the classroom allows students to work more time smart cutting out wasted time as it teaches students what to look for, where to look for it and what is useful for them (Eisensberg, 2001).

Students still need to view what is currently on the wiki to ensure that no doubling up of work happens. Students will then consolidate and refine the information to move onto their class or group wiki. Wiki helps students develop higher order thinking skills as it is a process of analysing, synthesising, explaining, hypothesizing and evaluating facts and knowledge’ (The State of Queensland, 2002, pg.1 :Bloom, 1956). Students using wiki space are able to choose how to research and display their work through the use of pictures, videos, URL’s and hyperlinks. A wiki allows students to take control of their own learning increasing their driving force to want to succeed in the education context.

Through implementation of the Big 6 Framework in my classroom I see how the skills of locating and accessing are being used as students think deeper to choose the relevant information (see discussion with peer- wiki). This links well within the DOL framework extending and refining (Marzano and Pickering, 2006). The Big 6 Framework equips students with problem solving skills by taking them through a process where they observe all possible solutions, eliminate the ineffective ones, and then find the best option for their activity or task (Einsberg, 2001).

Websites are a great digital tool that promotes collaborative learning with students all working together towards a certain goal. The learning manager can overlook the students learning journey and scaffold where needed. Though students that need extra help can get guidance and the more advanced students can work ahead at their own pace.

The third tool explored is the use of blogs which enables information to be transformed to develop new understandings. Blogs allow teachers to guide students’ research. This allows learners to develop independence and encourage the use of higher order thinking skills. Teachers need to be aware when implementing usernames that it does not suggest any personal detail. In addition to that students need to develop an awareness of netiquette and the potential effects that points of view have. This would be the first agenda that I would go through with the students before they begin to use this tool in the classroom context (see comment with peers – blogging).

Blogs allow learners to not only post their own views it enables you to see your peers comments that you can reflect upon therefore allowing collaborative learning. An example of collaborative communication to enhance learning using blogs can be viewed on my blogging comment post. Blogs allow for collaboration between large amounts of individuals therefore the comments will be quite substantive from one another. This increase in learning, knowledge and understanding through the expansion of networked associates is the core of connectavism (Siemens, 2004).

Students extend their knowledge by describing, naming and answering questions from their peers within their blog. Blogging caters for all learners to have equal input such as the shy and the voicetress as each student has the same blogging space to write and comment through their opinions and knowledge learnt while giving students a sense of ownership and equality (Downes 2004).

Teachers can use blogs within all year levels, such as in prep it could be a whole class where the teacher uploads students work, as in prep there are numerous amounts of hands on activities that the children do. In the upper primary it could be an individual task to show their learning through blogging about a specific task where they could upload photos, make references and comment to peers. Learning is a process, like a blog which can be used as an online record of that process (Killen 2009).

The fourth tool that will be incorporated into this synopsis is PowerPoint, as a tool used to present knowledge to an audience. After collaboration (see discussion with peers- PowerPoint) I discovered that most peers would agree that PowerPoint is a great learning tool to embed into our future classrooms. Students using PowerPoint’s in the classroom setting allows them to be precise with what information they select to present as this displays their understanding and knowledge on a set topic. The process of selecting information or knowledge to synthesise, evaluate and then use within their PowerPoint is allowing higher order thinking to concur (Bloom, 1956). PowerPoint’s can be used as great tool showing an individual or groups learning journey.

PowerPoint’s have endless opportunities for not only the use in the schooling context but within the world providing life- long skills. Teachers, students, business workers or anyone skilled on using PowerPoint can adequately create presentations to teach or present information to a particular audience. I have learnt that for PowerPoint’s to be effective they must be relevant and include content and pictures that relate to the topic (Baker,2005) (see discussion with peers-PowerPoint).

Conclusion of this synopsis, I have learnt through this E-learning course how valuable ICT tools are as long as they facilitate, support and engage learners with an intended learning outcome. E-learning supports and enhances students learning by meeting individual learner’s needs, while developing higher-order thinking skills and allowing for enhancing creativity. Digital tools can be used across all Key Learning Areas at any year juncture. I endeavour to embed the use of ICTs in my future classroom practices as it provides a range of alternate resources. “Different teaching strategies are simply different ways of helping students to learn” (Killen, 2009, pg.74).


Links to comments made in synopsis:
Podcast link:
http://assessmentpiece2.blogspot.com/2010/08/digtial-tool-9-podcasts.html

Wik link:
http://assessmentpiece2.blogspot.com/2010/08/digital-tool-3-wiki.html

Big 6 Framework link:
http://assessmentpiece2.blogspot.com/2010/08/week-2-digital-learning-frameworks.html

PowerPoint link:
http://jesselearning.blogspot.com/2010/08/right-to-point.html

Blogs Link:
http://sadimyers.blogspot.com/2010/08/finally-blog-about-blogging.html

Reference List:

Baker, G. (2005). Multimedia: Effectiveness in the Classroom. Northern Arizona: Northern Arizona University.

Bloom, B. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.


Downes, S. (2004) Educational Blogging. EDUCAUSE Review, vol 39.5. Retrieved 20 August,
2010,from: http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume39/EducationalBlogging/157920

Eisenberg, M. (2001, November 19th). The Big6 Skills Overview. Retrieved July 24,
2010, From: The Big6: http://www.big6.com/2001/11/19/a-big6%E2%84%A2-skills-
overview/

Killen, R. (2009). Effective teaching strategies: Lessons from research and practice (5th
ed.).Nelson, Vic: Thomson/Social Science Press.

Langwitches. (2010, January 9). It's Not About the Tools. It's About the Skills. Retrieved
August 21, 2010, from Langwitches Blog: The Magic of Learning:
http://langwitches.org/blog/2010/01/09/its-not-about-the-tools-its-about-the-skills/

Marzano, R., & Pickering, D. (2006). Dimensions of learning teacher’s manual (2ed.).
Heatherton, Australia: Hawker Brownlow.

Reid, A., & Petocz, P. (2004). Learning Domains and the Process of Creativity. Australian
Educational Researcher, Vol.31 , 18.

The State of Queensland. (2002). Productive Pedagogies: Classroom Reflection Manual.
Brisbane: Curriculum Implementation Unit.

Siemens,G. (December, 2004) Connectavism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved
August 10, 2010, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm