With this era being labelled as the 'digital age' (Resnick, 2003),
it stands to reason that technology would be an integral part of students home
and schooling lives. With this shift from paper and pen methods to information
communication technologies (ICTs) in recent years, it is crucial that the rest
of the world and in particular educators recognise the changes that
are occurring and see the great many possibilities that it brings.
"These new technologies have the potential to fundamentally transform how and what people
learn throughout their lives. Just as advances in biotechnologies
made possible the “green revolution” in agriculture, new digital
technologies make possible a “learning revolution” in education" (Resnick,
2003). The first step in this 'learning revolution' can therefore be summed up
into one word, E-Learning.
E-Learning
is the use of ICTs to engage, enhance and extend
learning in pedagogically sound, flexible and innovative ways (Fasso, n.d.). In
other words, these are the tools by which Learning Managers (LMs) will
structure their lessons around. ICTs are often wrongly considered as tools that
need to be merely integrated into the learning, rather than the integral part
of the learning that they actually are (Fasso, n.d.). When used correctly, ICTs
allow a LM to perform four different functions. Firstly to ‘transform’ how and
what students learn, secondly to ‘facilitate’ their learning through the
provision of a variety of information sources and resources, thirdly to ‘support’
students on their individual learning pathways and finally to ‘enhance’ and
extend upon their learning by challenging students to be critical and
reflective learners. These four functions can be achieved through the
incorporation of a variety of ICT tools into the learning of students, four of
which will be analysed today.
The first tool is that of a wiki from Wikispaces, a wiki is an online space where users can add, delete and revise content with a
wide range of editing tools (Dictionary.com, n.d.). A more in-depth analysis on
personal experiments with a wiki can be found here. This is an excellent tool to integrate into the classroom
due to emphasising the importance of both ICT in learning as well as creating
opportunities for collaborative learning. An excellent example of this can be
found here, this was an activity that
aimed to provoke group reflection of mobile phones and their use within the
classroom. A wiki provides numerous practical advantages to LMs, such as allowing
users to “overcome restrictions of time and place and transcending barriers
of textbooks and classroom walls” (Eklund & Kwan, 2000), therefore allowing
LMs to transfer the classroom learning into the home environment. There are
multiple examples of a wiki facilitating this transfer, some of which are
discussed in a wiki that can be found here.
The
second ICT tool is digital videos. There has been extensive research in the
area of digital videos and their incorporation into the classroom. One such
study was conducted by Schuck and Kearney (2004). This study indicated that
digital videos and in particular student produced ones, provide LM with a means
to enable a wide range of valuable learning outcomes to be facilitated. Some
examples of these outcomes are literacy, communication, teamwork, higher order
thinking and cognitive skills to name a few. The learning outcomes and the
enabling of their facilitation within the learning environment through an ICT
tool like digital videos, also serves to promote each of the four purposes of
ICT. Examples and elaborations on this can be found here.The third ICT tool to be analysed is that of PowerPoint’s. Up until recently, the full potential of what PowerPoint’s could bring to the classroom learning had not been personally realised. Personal explorations in this tool in the past few weeks have exposed a wide range of unique and beneficial possible uses for PowerPoint within the classroom, some of which have been recorded here. A complimentary tool that can be used in conjunction with PowerPoint is that of Mouse Mischief. Mouse Mischief and the corresponding trials that have been conducted with this tool have promised only positive results. Trial feedback has indicated that by LMs increasing PowerPoint presentation interactivity through a tool like Mouse Mischief, LMs are assured student engagement, collaborative learning and participation to name a few (Microsoft, 2010). Examples of how PowerPoint promotes each of the four purposes of ICT can be found here.
The fourth and final tool is that of Google Earth, this tool is described as a virtual globe that allows students to view the world from a variety of different angles and perspectives (Deutscher, 2011). Google Earth enables LM to shrink the world and deliver it to students through the click of a button. Students are able to view places that were previously only names and explore the streets of far off countries all within the boundaries of the classroom. This ICT tool therefore enables students to learn about the world through a more visual perspective, ‘seeing’ places rather than merely hearing about them, therefore catering to the needs of visual learners (Tucker, 2009). Subjects such as maths, geography and history which were previously lacking in visual stimulation for students can now become vibrant and captivating learning experiences. This tool in particular caters for each of the 4 ICT purposes as elaborated on here.
Each of the four ICT tools discussed in this reflections, wikis, digital videos, PowerPoint’s and Google Earth are all unquestionably excellent tools to use in the classroom. With these tools though there is always a need for caution to be taken in regards to matters concerning the legal, safe and ethical behaviours associated with ICT tools. Issues arise when copyright rules are infringed and privacy barriers are breached. Depending upon the context in which the above mentioned ICT tools are to be used, the regulations and limitations associated with each of them would vary. The Australian Department of Education and Training (DET) provides a range of documents outlining the regulations associated with web publishing of student or censored information; this can be located here for further reading. Elaborations on this topic and applications to a classroom context can also be found here.
After looking at these four ICT tools, it
is obvious that the opportunities for learning that they provide an LM with are
endless. The question that arises through after evaluating each of the tools is
as to the content that they can be used to present and how to assess the
educational quality and the pedagogical opportunities associated with them.
There are two frameworks that currently underpin this assessment, the Technological
Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and Blooms Taxonomy. The TPACK
framework addresses the correlation between ICT tools and the LM knowledge
associated with their use. Rather than attempting to immediately incorporate
each of the four ICT tools into the classroom learning, LM are encourages to
become competent users themselves of the tools before attempting their
implementation (Mishra & Koehler, 2006). It is important that an LM
realises their strengths and weakness in regards to ICTs and use them to
enhance the learning, rather than replace it. In comparison, Blooms Taxonomy addresses
the content and its use to promote a transition from low to higher order
thinking (Churches, 2007). In the past students have been forced to learn
through rote learning practices, as opposed to today where creative and
innovative thinking practices are preferred. This shift indicated a need for
altering classroom practices, one which Blooms Taxonomy aims to address.
In conclusion the ICT tools of wikis,
digital videos, PowerPoint’s and Google Earth are all excellent tool to use in
promoting the four purposes of ICT use, to transform, facilitate, support and
enhance learning regardless of the learning context. The past few weeks has
enabled the personal development of new repertoire of ICT tools and their
application to the context of a primary schools classroom. Research into the
areas of each tool, their safe use and the frameworks associated with their use
has enabled tremendous growth in particular in the area of personal ICT
competence. A greater awareness of the tools available to LMs has also been
developed and in particular an appreciation of the possibilities that the use
of these tools brings to student learning. The development of future learning
experiences will most definitely be enhanced by the incorporation of these for
ICT tools and students will benefit as a direct result.
References
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