Voki and Website creation...

My website link

Group 1 Tools: On-line spaces – Web 2.0

USING BLOGS IN A TEACHING CONTEXT

Strengths	Weaknesses
Engages students with technology Allows students to contribute their ideas, thoughts and feelings on topics and through a global network Allows students to read other students perspectives and comment on the blog Facilitates collaborative learning Facilitate construction of assignments/projects Allows for student’s creativity	Copyright issues Can be time consuming writing, reading and responding Inaccurate information could be posted Student safety and privacy issues
Opportunities	Threats
Enhance reading, critical thinking and writing/typing skills Linking of other websites and experts in field of topics Connections with global network Can access anytime, anywhere when internet access available Permanent record of information Increased participation of students who do not like group work or who are shy to contribute in classroom	Unwanted or malicious comments from other people Students spending too much time on blogging when should be studying or working on other subjects/projects Other ICT tools

Content + Pedagogy + Technology = TPACK Framework

I came into this subject wanting to learn how I will be able to use technology in my classroom to engage and teach 21st century learners…this is definitely happening...wiki...tick! But always still more to learn!!

After reading and participating in the required week 2 activities, I have learnt that to be an effective and engaging teacher in the 21^st century I need to be conversant not only in what I am teaching (content), the way I will teach the content (pedagogy) to achieve learning outcomes for students but to understand and be competent in using different technologies for different teaching and learning purposes.

Understanding and using the TPACK framework together with a focus on attaining higher levels of thinking for our learners, by implementing Bloom’s Taxonomy, will allow us, as Learning Managers to design e-learning experiences that will support and transform student learning. 

Wiki...A collaboration tool

I remember my eldest son coming home from school sometime in the first half of the year and asked if I knew what a Wiki was...back then I had to say "no"! Now I can officially say I know what a wiki is, have been and am learning how it can support learning.  My first introduction to a wiki was in the subject The Arts in Term one.  The Wiki was used as a collaborative communicating tool for our Floating Land Underwater Culture workshop.  There were 12 students in our group and we were from all over the Sunshine Coast so it was difficult to meet face to face.  This tool was fantastic for everyone to contribute their research, thoughts and ideas for our workshop.  It also gave us a permanent record of discussions so we were all up to date with the progress of our preparations.  I learnt about wikis by participating in on-line collaboration, this is a feature of constructivism way of learning - learning by experience.

For this subject we were asked to contribute to the group wiki, which was debating the use of mobile phones in classrooms.  This was interesting as my eldest son came home with the same topic for his persuasive text homework only a few weeks ago.  At the time, both my husband and I had the opinion that they should not be in classrooms for certain reasons and my son...well of course being a digital native, argued well that they should have mobiles in the classroom.

The mobile phone wiki was scaffolded by using de Bono's Six Thinking Hats.  To participate, I put on different "thinking" hats and read other student's perspectives, which made me analyse and evaluate my stance on this issue.  I am not sure whether it has changed my opinion but it certainly built up my knowledge about mobile phone issues, that I do value other student's perspectives and that using a interactive scaffolding tool such as a wiki and thinking routine engaged me in higher order thinking.  

Therefore from my two experiences above, I believe this ICT tool fits appropriately in the Social Constructivism learning theory.  Social interaction has a large influence on learning, especially through the process such as scaffolding (Vygotsky, 1962).

Reference:

Weekly materials Week 1 : Learning theory and e-learning in the course FAHE11001

Is that how I learn??? Interesting!

By completing the Felder and solomon learning style inventory, the results show that I am balanced between Active and Reflective learning styles.  I do sometimes find myself jumping into things early and then finding out that it is not what I was/am suppose to do.  But then I can spend too much time reflecting and deciding what to do that I never get anything completed!!!  Sensing or Intuitive learner?? Definitely sensing - I like learning facts, try to solve problems using established methods or rules and do not like complications or surprises.  Visual or verbal? the results show that my preference is towards visual learning.  However, I think I learn more if information is presented both visually and verbally.  Lastly, I have a preference towards learning sequentialy rather than globally.  That is, I tend to gain undertanding by following sequential logical steps rather than jumping around a topic and then putting it all together.

Felder and Solomon describe each learning style and provide some classroom strategies that are extremely helpful for Learning Managers to implement and understand the learning needs of our learners in the 21st century classroom.

Getting started...

Wow...I did it! After watching, which included lots of pausing and rewinding, the moodle blog tutorials, I have successfully created and posted my very first blog.  I am now officially a Blogger!!