Assignment two.

Technology in schools is without doubt one of the 21^st century’s greatest education challenges. Technologically adept classrooms provide students with tools they can use to build their knowledge base and share with their peers and teachers using digitally innovative eLearning tools. Student culture has never before been so adroit, competent and receptive when it comes to eLearning technology in classroom environments, which affords itself to capitalising on the gains to be made through computer-based learning environments, rather than traditional didactic facilities (Tuiren, Hayes& Blumsack, 2002).

This paper will analyse four digital tools within the eLearning technologies; online spaces, multimedia, presentations, animations and simulations, as they apply to teaching and learning. The four digital tools are Blogs, (online spaces) Podcasts, (multimedia) Prezi (presentations) and Concept Mapping (animations and simulations).

As part of the analysis, this paper will assess how each technology is able to support enhanced learning outcomes for primary school students, whilst at the same time explore what considerations need to be put in place to ensure that when teaching and using digital tools in classrooms, all ethics are preserved.

This paper will link the reader to examples of each of these scaffolding tools as well as a number of thinking routines previously undertaken on each of the four digital tools. Finally, this paper will summarise the analytical findings on the digital tools and conclude by providing some strategies to enhance, support and transform student learning via the use of the digital tools.

Utilisation of online spaces in the classroom enhances the opportunity for students to engage in learning that is shared, interactive and in many contexts more communal.  “In online contexts, instructors must strive to optimize interaction between learner-instructor, learner-learner, and learner-content through effective modes of communication” (McBrien, Jones & Cheng, 2009, p. 3). Blogs, as an online learning tool, offer a shared learning setting which provides interaction amongst all parties involved in a classroom learning environment.

Supported by Constructivist learning theory, blogs are one eLearning tool that facilitate a dialogue between the student, their peers and their teacher. Blogs work in such a way that affords constructive opportunities for knowledge to be built upon and shared while at the same time, analysed and reframed depending on the quality of the dialogue that occurs. This construct of learning permeates the view of Tam (2000) who refers to a renewed conception of teaching and learning that is socially commentated, shared and built based on intellectually rich settings.  

Amidst the opportunities that exist around the use of blogs, (refer SWOT analysis) for example, engaging students to learn more about Information Communication Technology (ICT), utilising ICT to its fullest and how blogs may influence best practice in schools, some challenges do exist. Managing issues such as access, usage, etiquette, for example, are critical to ensuring that every user is able to manage blogs effectively and safely (Cuhadar & Kuzu, 2010). Despite such challenges, with good planning and tuition, blogs can and do provide a supportive learning environment.

One of the prominent threats associated with blogs relates to the issue of ethics. As an online space, students have access to sources of information and content which may be rated beyond their educational classification. In addition to this ethical issue, other users may pose a threat by way of initiating improper dialogue/associations. Management of these threats is possible, and educating the students and teachers about such issues is clearly at the very ‘front end’ of initiating any online space scaffolds.

An element of blogs that provides limitless access to information, techniques and interaction is its ability to offer multimedia uploads. “Blog pages supplemented by multimedia elements become a virtual environment in which the course content is presented to students with the help of hyperlinks provided for access to a countless number of sources of information on the Internet.” (Cuhadar & Kuzu, 2010, p.137)

Multimedia via the internet covers many aspects of digital audio, video, text etc. and when utilised in the classroom, these digital mediums are all able to enhance learning outcomes of the student through their engaged involvement in the learning process (Kartal & Arda, 2010). One tool within audio multimedia is the technology of Podcasting.

Podcasting is basically the 21^st century version of tape recording. The difference being that podcasting is digitally based and therefore is an audio that can be created online or uploaded online and then distributed or downloaded to other online spaces such as blogs, websites, twitter, Facebook etc. “Instead of storing audio on

a cassette tape, audio can now be recorded or copied directly into a computer file.” (Taylor, 2009, p.120).

When used in the primary classroom, podcasts can deliver an audio to students on just about any topic relevant to primary specific Key Learning Areas (KLAs). Under a SWOT analysis, podcasts have the ability to manage any perceived threat that the technology may present by simply ensuring that students get a balanced, contemporary and accessible podcast. In the event that students are required to develop their own podcast for a presentation, opportunities for enhanced pedagogy become far greater. In this scenario, students are developing skills in collaboration, organisation, technical competency, research and literacy (Armstrong, Tucker &Massad, 2009).

Good planning on behalf of the teacher is once again an important requirement so that ethical use of material is both understood and adhered to. Certain audio on the internet is copyrighted and illegal downloads of such material can not only indict a student, but also the teacher and school.

Affording presentations the added ‘stimulus triggers’ multimedia applications offer, brings about opportunities for students to conceive, develop, create and implement  presentations that are far more impacting and engaging than ever before. According to Havice et al (2010), rich media presentations have revolutionized our thinking when it comes to the delivery of course content, and also with respect to how we learn.

One such presentation technology is Prezi. Designed specifically as a tool for allowing interactive and engaging presentations, Prezi is amongst many eLearning presentation tools available to teachers and students in the 21^st century classroom. As identified in the Prezi PMI thinking routine, Prezi does not have the extensive usage of PowerPoint. However, one very important element that attracts a lot of support for this presentation tool is its capacity to allow the presenter/user to refer backwards to previously covered material. This means that where some content or relevant material needs to be revisited, it is very easy to orchestrate using Prezi.

Prezi allows the creator to upload and incorporate all of the multimedia tools, plus it allows the creator to pan in and out of the presentation with remarkable effectiveness. Although this adds to the impact of the presentation, as outlined in the Prezi tutorial, it can also be deemed as a disadvantage as it can cause some degree of disorientation to the audience if not managed properly. Again, Prezi enlists in most cases, the need for students to access the internet in order to maximise a Prezi presentation. To this end, knowledge and adherence to ethical usage is paramount in order to acknowledge copyright, due care and best practice.

Most of the challenging issues raised within each of the thinking routines can be mitigated by enlisting sound planning practices. Knowing what is required of the respective eLearning tool and where to source support regarding ethical issues is a must to ensure safe and legal utilisation of all of these tools. One very effective method of creating the profile of such a plan is that of mind mapping. Mind mapping, as a technique for plotting one's thoughts and ideas, is an effective way to combine modalities of cognition such as visual, auditory etc. Therefore by undertaking an exercise in planning, mind mapping as a technique can clearly identify links between a problem and its solution.

When Mind Mapping is used in an educational environment, it can assist students with their higher order thinking by using diagrams that highlight linkages with and between elements of the planning being mapped. When combining the principles of mind mapping with online technologies such as text2mindmap, students once again have the capacity to initiate involvement in an interactive and engaging process for planning, problem solving, brain storming, project design and presentation development.

The PMI task undertaken on text2mindmap indicates that this eLearning tool has some very credible applications in the classroom. It is easy to use, effective and it captures all of the elements that are required for mind mapping. As an interactive way of getting students to plan all aspects of a project, this technology appears to be an appropriate tool to use. Plus, text2mindmap is an excellent planning tool for bringing together Prezi presentations, podcasts and links to Blogs.

Whether a teacher is planning a lesson or a whole course, eLearning technologies are going to be an intricate element of their planning frameworks for the foreseeable future. By understanding the technologies, a teacher can provide an environment that is stimulating, engaging, supported, contemporary, challenging and safe, if and when eLearning technology is properly utilised. “ELearning offers significant benefits and unique attributes such as time and location shifting, flexible sequencing, widen access and being more reachable, increasing diversity, using experience lecturer and professional trainers where they are not accessible and reachable and also access to extensive resources” (Yavar, B. Rahmani, M.  Mirtaheri, M. 2010. p 1).

An example of integrating all of the eLearning tools discussed in this paper, within a primary classroom, would be to develop a classroom project. As part of a project, randomly break a class up into groups of five. PowerPoint presentations could be used to initiate classroom based discussion about a project subject, and then as an activity, each group could follow instructions provided via the class website and put together one element of the project. Each group would undertake one piece of the project and at the end of the process, each group would present their respective final element via a class blog. Finally, as a class, the students would put the project together for final submission via a Prezi presentation.

In this type of project, students can be responsible for completing certain tasks within each group’s element of the project. One student doing image management, another audio via podcasting  and others investigating learning objects etc. Such projects assist with the critical need to engage  students with interesting and real activity based projects that call for collaboration in teams on learning that is connected to the real world (Kearsley& Shneiderman, 1999).

However, as identified through the various thinking routines undertaken on the above mentioned eLearning technologies, it is critical to manage all of the processes that students will undertake in such projects so as to ensure ethical, safe and best practice guidelines are adhered to by students and others. Plus, the process of setting up project guidelines and the various learning scaffolds, monitoring internet usage, maintenance of contemporary programs and hardware, access to the technology by all students, expertise to manage IT issues etc. all bring to bear questions about true viability. Is it too costly (Hardware, PD, software, maintenance), time consuming, pose too many threats, meet equity standards?

However, by providing primary school students with the tools, course work and prescribed conditions for eLearning technologies, teachers are ultimately providing a service to the whole community. Those students will progress through the education system, emerging as contributors to their workplaces, families, communities, their own futures and the futures of others to come.

References.

Armstrong, G. R. Tucker, J. M and Massad, V. J. (2009). Interviewing the Experts:

Student Produced Podcast. Journal of Information Technology Education, 8, (1), 80.

Cuhadar, C and Kuzu, A (2010). Improving Interaction Through Blogs in a

Constructivist Learning Environment. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education- 11,(1), 137.

Havice, P. A. Foxx, K. W. Davis T. T and Havice, W. L (2010). The Impact Of Rich Media Presentations On A Distributed Learning Environment: Engagement and Satisfaction of Undergraduate Students. Retrieved from. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.cqu.edu.au/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=45&hid=107&sid=0ef56023-5fe8-4723-8b6e-252bf01ba856%40sessionmgr110

Kartal, E and Arda, A. (2010) A recommendation for a new Internet-based environment for studying literature. US-China Education Review (Serial No.68).7, (7),95.

Kearsley, G and Shneiderman, B (1999) Engagement Theory:A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsley/engage.htm

McBrien, J.L, Jones, P and Cheng, R (2009) Virtual Spaces: Employing a Synchronous Online Classroom to Facilitate Student Engagement in Online Learning. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning Volume 10, (3), 3

Tam, M. (2000) Constructivism, Instructional Design, and Technology: Implications for Transforming Distance Learning. Educational Technology & Society 3, (2),56.

Taylor, M.Z. (2009) Podcast Lectures as a Primary Teaching Technology: Results of a One-Year Trial. Journal of Political Science Education, 5, (10):119–137

Tuiren, A. B. Hayes, D. and Blumsack, S.L. (2002) Preparing Teachers To Use Learning Objects. Retrieved  from http://ts.mivu.org/default.asp?show=article&id=1034

Yavar, B. Rahmani, M and Mirtaheri, M (2010) Blending eLearning With Traditional Teaching for Increasing Student’s Performance in the International University of Chabahar (IUC): Lessons Learnt From Thoughts to Action . Retrieved from

http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8wRIjaxTQjkC&oi=fnd&pg=PA425&dq=Blending+Learning+With+Traditional+Teaching+for+increasing+students+performance+in+the+international+university+of+chabahar&ots=erZ8o-CVQz&sig=4wzb37tOs10LuLU1jPld8Xofj-Q#v=onepage&q=Blending%20Learning%20With%20Traditional%20Teaching%20for%20increasing%20students%20performance%20in%20the%20international%20university%20of%20chabahar&f=false

Mind Mapping

Plus
Mind mapping, as a technique for plotting one's thoughts and ideas is an effective way to combine modalities of cognition. I.e. Visual, Auditory etc. The text2mindmap tool I used this week was great. It was easy to use, allowed me to dialogue my thoughts first and place them into a hierarchical diagram that I could then manipulate so as to properly represent my ideas.

The instrument was very easy to use and allowed interactive application that will definately suit pirmary students applications in the classroom.

Minus
I could not find a way of linking the final product to any other tool so I had to copy and paste and put into my website. The text2mindmap site does say that it is still in development mode so this may be addressed.

Interesting
I found the whole method of operation interesting, especially after having a go of Bubbl.us which I found very complicated and un-fulfilling as a mind mapping tool.

PMI on Prezi

	Plus	Minus	Interesting
Prezi	·     Very interactive ·    User friendly ·    Engaging ·    Capable of multiple mediums of presentation I.e. Sound, visual, etc ·   Accessible to students. ·    You can travel back to topic areas to reinforce information.	·    Yet another presentation tool for students to learn and use. ·    Less utilised globally. ·    May be created in a way that is visually disorienting. ·    The constant movement of dialogue may cause disinterest.	·     The visual dominance of the tool may override the presentation content.

PowerPoint, Prezi and Glogster

In this blog I am considering PowerPoint, Prezi and Glogster as learning tools for the classroom.  I can see there are the benefits of scaffolding, engaging students, pedagogy, reinforcement of learning, ability to cater to multiple learning preferences and dimensions I.e. kinesthetic learning able to physically interact with the technology either by following prompts or creating their own interactive project etc. in each of these mediums. And as such, I believe there are multiple ways of using all of these tools to extract the most exciting, interesting, engaging and well-engineered presentation for students to see, hear, interact with, be challenged by, learn from and build.

However, with all of the ICT that I am learning, I am beginning to see the reality of ‘less is more’. For example, I learn one interactive and engaging teaching tool, let’s say Twitter, and I think this is the ducks answer. However as soon as I learn the next tool I am a convert to its dimensions of teaching and learning.

Essentially I think the time it takes to properly  set up a lesson using any of the ICT tools learned to date is considerable and therefore I would ask the question, ‘When is enough, too much?’. In preparing a lesson using any one of these ICT tools, I have to consider that the lesson content may remain static, however the method of delivery (ICT medium) will have most probably either changed or maybe become obsolete after 6 months to a year. Therefore I have to re-do that lesson to ensure I am considering ICT as a change agent. As a scaffolding, I am suggesting that it would be more influencial to focus on maybe one or two of the technologies, rather than spreading the scaffolds across many technologies.

This especially applies for the lessons on ICT. I.e. teaching how to use PowerPoint. In my own experience I have noticed that most of the ‘instructions’ and ‘screen dumps’ in this course have been provided in windows 2007 (or worst still….2007 in Japanese!!!). For me this has been a disaster as I have windows 2010 and therefore I have to search for the process in other ways.  And remember that I am an ICT immigrant which brings with it the language barrier issue.

So as an empathic warrior of the ICT immigration debate, I fully understand that it would 'not' matter which medium or mediums of ICT I used in the classroom. I will inevitably be required to take a lot of time making sure I correctly 'cross the language barrier'. For me, I have to ensure that I use ICT wisely,creatively, imaginatively and resiliently and do not spread myself too thin on multiple technologies. In order for ICT to enhance the learning outcomes of my students I have to play my part. And so in conclusion and in acknowledging this weeks activities;


"Can you identify the ways you could use PowerPoint in your classroom beyond a mundane presentation of content?"
Create a Glogster presentation and embed it in your Blog. What do you think are the learning benefits?
Select the presentation tool you believe is of most use in your classroom, and explore it in greater depth - creating and embedding a sample, and identifying the learning purposes you will use it for it".


I suggest that none of the ICT tools learned to date will be better or more suitable for enhancing the learning outcomes of my students. They are all credible and relevant and all play a part. What does matter is how I as a teacher use this technology. To make it really happen for my students ‘I’ as the teacher am the medium for all learning outcomes. PowerPoint, Prezi and Glogster are simply tools!!!!!!!

Movie maker

For me, using such utensils on the classroom is all about the interpretive feedback I get from the students involvement of a production. By building guidelines around what is required and by supporting the students through initiatives that give them access to YouTube, wiki, blog postings, picnik etc., allow the students to build their own learning platforms.

Having the appropriate guidelines is, in my mind, the essence of this activity. For example, asking for the students to create a movie about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lifestyles pre-European settlement would mean that the students would first need some cultural awareness training to make them aware of language, cultural issues, local Indigenous stories, local ceremonies etc.

When the students develop their movies, it will be easily identifiable if the above mentioned knowledge has been attained. Indicators such as acknowledgement of country, reference to local clan groups or nation, language spoken, current issues around Land Use agreements (ILUA) etc.

My own podcast.

Well I have really hit the wall on this one. I can not record anything for my podcast as I keep getting the same message  "I have to install Adobe Flash player" All other elements of this process were successful, right down to posting the podcast, only without sound. What a shame.
This incident does however enlist my thoughts into the issue about ICT in schools. That being how does the Education Department up skill current teachers so their ICT competencies are sound. Does up skilling in ICT simply mean to do a course in ICT for learning? Or does a teacher need to do a degree in ICT programming to fully understand all elements about ICT so that when something as seemingly simple as downloading a free program does not become the impass it has for me. In my case, I can follow instructions for the Podomatic process, but as soon as my situation demands a deeper understanding of the technology, I am pinned to the floor like Gulliver on home coming day!!!!
I am however prepared to have a go and make mistakes so maybe this is my learning path.
By the way, I got some info on installing adobe flash player and have soughted my podcast.

Analysis of Podcasts in the teaching context

Where aren’t there podcasts that can be made relevant for a teaching context? I think podcasts are a good teaching scaffold because there is such flexibility around the subject matter which is accessible for teachers to use. Choose anything from ABC, SBS, Podcasts in the classroom. Of course there are many more that are definitely worth exploring when completing activities for a lesson plan.

For this SWOT analysis I have chosen Starstuff, which is a podcast about NASA discovering a baby black hole.

	Strengths	Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
Podcasts-Analysis for classroom applications	·         Can relate other topical information regarding NASA. ·         Very strong in the science discipline. ·         Links in with relevant science KLA and primary connections ·         Teachers/Students can link podcasts to wiki, blogs, PowerPoint etc. further enhancing pedagogy and scaffolding.	·         Access to all students in and out of school. ·         Expertise in ICT. ·         Designing so that there is maximum influence on pedagogy. ·         Time requirement to design lessons. ·         Noise factor on podcasts in the classroom.	·         Enhanced pedagogy. ·         Engaging students. ·         Very recent/ Relevant information. ·	·         Relevance of the podcast sources if taken from a less credible site. ·         The lesson being poorly designed by relying too heavily on the podcast for learning outcomes.