REFLECTIVE SYNOPSIS

REFLECTIVE SYNOPSIS
When I initially began this course, it very quickly became apparent that the majority of the ICT’s (Information and Communication Technologies) that were introduced to me were things that I have never seen before. I was literally petrified and questioned my ability to achieve the tasks necessary to complete the course. This was not a good start. Everything seemed to be coming at me at such a fast pace that my self- esteem jumped ship leaving me with minimal confidence. I was definitely, what Prensky (2001) named a ‘digital immigrant’. I found myself creating barriers until I found myself searching for the contrasting influences in using ICT’s. These included:
• Teachers not adequately trained.
• Time allocation did not allow for qualitative teaching and learning experiences.
• Bias against those in low socio-economical communities that could not afford or were not given access to a home computer.
• Technical difficulties that seem to be forever occurring on a regular basis.
• Limited funding to supply up to date software.
• Access to unsafe sites was becoming more frequent.
• Inexperienced expertise in knowing where to source such information.

A study conducted by the QSA entitled Embedding technology in teaching and learning asked the following two questions and the results of these are as shown:



Pondering these questions, I found that I was slowly understanding and interacting with each learning tool and becoming more excited to be engaged. I found the content authentic and meaningful. I began associating my learning with notions of Kearsley & Schniedeman’s 1999 ‘Engagement theory’. I realised my attitudes and perceptions were changing and started to find the benefits and the potential learning opportunities that are available to bring a new dimension of learning to the classroom. I saw the fun and have come to the realisation that ICT has the following credentials which create for all learners a crucial ingredient for learning success.
• Globally links students to other students.
• Provides up to date findings that out -dated encyclopaedias’ cannot.
• Create simulations so enabling students to go on a virtual tour in a way that excursions cannot.
• Allows for creativity in a way that pen and paper does not.
• Provides opportunities for students to further develop their higher order thinking skills in a more futuristic approach.
Prensky’s suggestion that today’s students think and process information fundamentally different from their predecessors reminds me of a recent conversation I had with a teacher regard the teaching of times tables. In a class of year 5 students only 3 or 4 were confident in knowing their times tables. I asked if the tables were learned by rote and the teacher said that she had tried that every morning for the first term yet it seems that they are just not open to that way of learning. As a result of this conversation I realized that by teaching in a classroom full of 21st century learners, I will need to adapt my ways of thinking and learn the underpinning knowledge and skills necessary to fulfil the needs of my learners. Having learnt how to utilise the power point and excel program, I can think of innovative ways to create maths games that have different levels each time you get the so many questions right.


As innovative as it is, I found myself getting frustrated as what I thought should take minutes as it was taking hours and this made me feel embarrassed. I pondered on the students that had limited access to the computer such as those whom were from low socio-economic circumstances. Does this create a bias reaction which could embed in those children a feeling of inadequacy that a lack of practice and experimentation can bring? How must it feel for those kids when it came to performing in front of their peers? I did not like seeing myself as ‘inadequate’ as it is a very debilitating emotion. Contrary to this, I did think that these children have access to the school library at lunch times even though the time is so limited. One of the other things I found myself doing was getting sidetracked as I opened window after window and then got lost. As I went to shut one window down it shut the rest down and in addition, when I pressed the backspace button thinking it would delete an unwanted letter, the entire page would backspace and I would lose what I had written in its entirety. Another issue that comes to mind is the compulsory comments to be made on other students’ blogs. I have made quite a few however for some reason they would not show up on my blog. I had envisioned more communication for my hard endeavours and I was somewhat demoralized by the lack of response. Apart from myself, I believe it to be true that nobody had actually commented on my blog. In saying this, I realize that I could have improved on my composition by perhaps adding some humour or some controversy to attract reader’s comments. Perhaps a buddy system whereby there was a certain responsibility to a certain person/s for the purpose of commenting on each others’ blog (at least during the initial learning stages) would have been more productive and would have promoted confidence building. However, by pushing through avoidance tactics and anxiety attacks, I found that by persevering I was growing tenfold and becoming more confident.
Engaging in this course, I have come across a myriad of ICT’s that are available for teachers to provide quality learning experiences which are engaging and interactive and align with Blooms taxonomy. The following four that I have chosen to highlight are:
VOKI AVATARS as seen in the link are a great tool to introduce new topics in a fun , interactive and engaging way. It also enables students to create characters to introduce their own new projects.
WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER is a tool that is easily accessed without the use of the net and can be used as a tool after students take photos of video footage of contextual information. Please refer to my link for more information about Movie Maker.
EXCEL SPREADSHEETS are a seemingly easy tool that I can’t wait to explore more. Please read my link for more information.
GOOGLE EARTH is an excellent interactive tool. Prior to this course I had only really given thought to it as a place to download maps, conversely there are many potential learning experiences that can be linked to Google earth. There are also numerous web pages with lesson plans to assist teachers in the planning. Please check out my Google Earth blog entry to discover more of this digital brilliance.


For the purpose of this assignment, I have chosen to use the “Big Six” framework. I have done so with the reasoning that I think it a practical approach to dealing with the use of ICT within the classroom. Developed by Mike Eisenberg and Bob Berkowitz, the Big Six framework divides the learning process into six stages that every day people use subconsciously and refine it to be a great way of finding information. The six stages are simplistic but meaningful and are followed through as such:
Task Definition Information Seeking Strategies. Location and Access.
Use of Information Synthesis Evaluation.
The following table shows how these stages align with some of the technologies commonly used in classrooms:
STAGES OF THE BIG SIX TECHNOLOGY COMMONLY USED
Task definition video conferencing, instant messaging ,voki avatars, blogs, skype
Information Seeking Strategies
Electronic resources (on CD-ROM, servers, WWW) Information Retrieval and Search Systems Yahoo, Google, Yahooligans, Lycos, AltaVista, portals
Location & Access Wikis, Skype
Use of Information Hypermedia
Synthesis (writing) Spreadsheets, Database management systems Hypermedia, Toon doo, digital storybook
Evaluation Spelling and grammar checking, rubric sheet, peer evaluation of blogs

The Big 6 is an effective framework however I believe, and am sure you would acquiesce with me, that teamed up with the thinking and learning processes congruent with the Dimensions of Learning Framework, this would create a more effective foundation for any planning .


Final thoughts
When I embarked on this assignment I saw myself as going through the gates of a major theme park. There were so many things to amuse, excite and scare me. And there were so many choices. The huge roller coaster beckoned. I was excited to be going on this massive ride (after all, this is what I had come for) yet, at the same time, I was petrified of the unknown territory, leap into the unknown. A cloak of fear, self-doubts, family responsibilities and safety hazards, swaddled me. But the dye was cast and as the gates were locked down, I knew there was no backing off. So, in time with the clunk of the rollers starting, my heart palpitating and my hyperventilating almost choking me, the ride began. The twists and turns came very fast and every time I started to feel safe and know what this ride was all about, I would be jolted with yet a new concept. How did I learn to manage? Well Peter Pan wasn’t the only one who had a ‘Wendy’. When I voiced my doubts to her, she whispered, “Focus on the things you can do not on the things you can’t.” So my ride, destination ICT, became ‘do-able.’ I could email, use Microsoft word, post things on Facebook, insert pictures into a document use power point and more. From this tiny base platform, I can now say that I can make a movie, blog, wiki, webpage, voki even hyperlink and I’m not shy now about having a go.
ICT’s in the classroom are great and can deliver the lessons in a high tech manner that caters for most students. However there is also something to be said about hands on learning with solid materials such as MAB block sets and tactile materials that engage the students. You could download a beach scene or Google earth a local beach but how do the students experience the sand on their feet and the water washing over their toes or even just the smell of the salt and the fresh breeze that slowly wafts past. A combination of both is what I feel is most beneficial to balance out the learning process so that students can adapt to the different mediums, as we all know ICT’s are quite frequently unavailable for different reasons and we will always need a Plan B. I am fortunate to have begun this lifelong learning journey now as it has created opportunities for me to explore, in my own time, tools that will ensure my competency by the time I get my degree. This, I will probably find, will be outdated by then but at least I will have the tools and underpinning knowledge to be able to adapt (one would hope).
References
Marzano, R.J, & Pickering, D.J. (1997). Dimensions of Learning: Teacher’s manual (2nd Edition). Colorado, USA: McRel.
Education. Au creative, capable connected .Retrieved August 18, 2010 from http://www.qsa.qld.edu.au/downloads/events/pd_con_ss09_black.ppt.
Eisenberg, M (2001). Big6 skills overview. Retrieved from CQUniversity moodle, FAHE11001 Managing E-learning, http://www.big6.com/2001/11/19/a-big6%E2%84%A2-skills-overview/
Kearsey, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement theory: a framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity moodle, FAHE11001 Managing E-learning, http://home.sprynet.com/~gkearsey/engage.htm
Prenskey, M. (2005) Engage me or enrage me: what today's learners demand. Retrieved August 23, 2010 from CQUniversity moodle, FAHE 11001 Managing E-learning, http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/erm0553.pdf
Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age. CQUniversity moodle, FAHE11001 Managing E-learning Retrieved August 23, 2010 from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
Images retrieved from personal files of blog authorbased teaching