Reflective Synopsis

I used various tools from Group 1 to Group 4 for teaching and learning in classroom in the past six weeks.  The tools involved the use of blogs, wikis, images, PowerPoint presentations, glogsters, google earth and many others to support E-learning. I learnt that appropriate scaffolding is important and the SAMR model can be used in E-learning. E-learning is ‘an innovative method for delivering a facilitated learning environment, which is characterised by good design, interactivity and centred on the learner, to any individual anywhere and at any time, by taking advantage of the properties available in many digital technologies with suitable learning materials for open and flexible learning environments’ Khan (2005) .

E-learning provides interactive features in the learning process, i.e., the ability to interact beyond the one-way knowledge transfer of content between the teacher and the student. In such an environment, learners can interact with the content and educational resources (the use of wikis), with the teacher and other peers. I found E-learning very interactive because in week 2 we used the de Bono’s six thinking hats as a scaffold to discuss the use mobile phones in classrooms. I posted my views on a wiki and I could access my peers’ views too.  E-learning transforms learning concepts, including: a transition from teacher- centred to learner-centred approaches, from the content to the process, from content- oriented to task-oriented, from individual effort to team effort, from printed materials to multimedia (this represents Substitution in the SAMR model) and from focusing on the facts to focusing on the problems. I noted that E-learning may include many patterns, such as face-to-face (the use of PowerPoint for presentation), distance learning (use of blogs or wikis) or a mixed education model.

Learning theories can provide explicit guidance for e-learning design, on how to help students to learn. Furthermore, theories of learning also offer a set of rules or guidelines that can be used for making decisions when designing learning activities (CQUniversity Australia, 2012). 

Cognitive theory focusses on non- observed behaviour and on processes and concepts, such as attention, perception, motivation, the transfer of learning and individual differences between learners.  The de Bono’s six hats of thinking demonstrated the Cognitive learning theory. Cognitivism involves the brain and mental processing.

Constructive learning theory emphasises that the learning environment presents situations and experiences related to learning, information sources, knowledge tools, communication tools and scaffolding that helps students to acquire an integrated set of cognitive skills (CQUniversity Australia 2012).  In week 4 I used images for teaching science and students were to develop projects as groups and answer certain questions using images. I noted that the use of images supported the Social Constructivist Learning Theory.

The use of technology and the TPACK framework for learning supports the Connectivism learning theory. As a teacher I learnt that I can benefit from the principles of all the various learning theories in order to achieve the learning objectives, meet the needs of learners and take into account the characteristics of the knowledge to be acquired. Decision-making when designing a lesson for E-learning must be based on a good understanding of learning and how it occurs, and knowing the factors that lead to successful learning (Clark, 2002).  The integration of learning theories in practice is a vital factor for the successful management of an E-learning environment. 

I noted that failure to take the right principles into account in the instructional design stage in E- learning will minimise the effectiveness of information processing and learning. It is not just the delivery method that leads to learning, but designing teaching methodologies that can make all the difference; for example, teaching methods, strategies, tools and ways for delivering information in new styles to enhance learning, which might happen through the use of examples, providing opportunities for contribution for instance using wikis in classrooms allows participation by students. (Clark, 2002). 

With E-learning there is need for scaffolding at the beginning or introduction of a topic, this scaffolding works as a structural support for knowledge, which enables learners to comfortably build up new knowledge and experience. I learnt that when designing the tools to use in E-learning, it is important to offer learners support and, at the same time, encourage self- learning. Teaching methods must enhance learning and motivate learners. The concept of scaffolding refers to the support function of the teacher for the learner for instance the use of images and glogsters can motivate the students to learn.

It is more likely that learning objectives will be achieved when learners are given the chance to learn new information actively. This requires providing activities that involve learners in frequent interactions and active learning, and providing real opportunities to apply new skills. Similar to other types of instructional design, the creation of effective E-learning depends on presenting students with tasks and learning activities that enable them to conduct experiments, leading them to a new understanding of the learning required and providing active participation in making choices about the tasks the students face in their learning. For ethical and safe legal practises I would ensure that my students are aware of these copyright issues and I would urge students to reference any information images that may breach any legal conditions. My students will be aware of ethical, legal and safe guidelines.  In conclusion E-learning is important because the students are now exposed to various global technological advancements.

 

Reference

Afifi, M. K., & Alamri, S. S. (2014). Effective Principles In Designing E-Course In Light of Learning Theories. Turkish Online Journal Of Distance Education (TOJDE), 15(1), 128-142

Clark, R. C. (2002, September 10). Six principles of effective e-learning: What works and why. Learning Solutions

CQUniversity Australia. (2012). EDED20491- ICTs for learning design:

            online study guide. Retrieved from 

          http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=115238

 

Khan, B. H. (2005). Managing E - learning: Design, delivery, implementation and evaluation. London, Hershey, PA: Information Science Publishing.

 

Week 6 Reflection 5 Digital Technology Group 4 Tools

Reflection 5

In week 6 I explored one of the tools in Group 4 (Google Earth). This reflection analyses the use of Google Earth in Classrooms. Google Earth is a free, downloadable program which provides users with a virtual globe that can display several thematic views of Earth at once. Users can manipulate spatial data by zooming in and rotating images to see the terrain in three dimensions (3D) (Blank et.al 2012). Google Earth also has a sophisticated layers tool, which allows users to superimpose data sets and images over the terrain. This feature has been shown to help users find visual patterns and relationships in data sets.

The clip below explains how to use Google Earth in the classroom

This image below was generated using Google Earth.  It shows one of the mining areas in Blackwater, Queensland. Google Earth can be used to teach students on water pollution

                         

Google Earth can be used in science to teach  about water pollution and this is achieved by using Google Earth to pinpoint sources of pollution in any area and other areas across the country and their effects on the surrounding watershed. If properly used in the classroom this tool can help students to overcome any misconceptions on water pollution. Incorporating a digital tool like this allows students to visualize natural phenomena and thereby overcome misconceptions such as the idea that rural communities are pollution free (Cheston and Saunders, 2014). Technology- enhanced activities can support constructivist learning theory and exploratory learning as well and students take ownership of their educational experience.

To deliver a lesson on water pollution I would ask students to consider several issues such as where they live , the terrain of the area where they live, any major waterways around the area. I would direct students to double-click on the data set file, as this causes Google Earth to open and populate a map of the desired area with information markers. To minimise confusion I will ask the students to examine only a small subset of data at a time. For the remainder of the lesson, students write in-depth observations and personal reflections on the data in their blogs. Students can discuss questions with their peers or add responses to their reflections. As they work in pairs, navigating and interpreting the Google Earth data, they re-evaluate their previous findings in the context of what they already knew before the commencement of the lesson. By correlating their written data with visual cues on the virtual globe, students can often extrapolate patterns in pollutant emitting facility distribution that were not previously apparent. For this activity, I would also use a Watershed health checklist. This checklist will guide students as they evaluate watershed health in terms

 ◆ Location and drainage area

 ◆ Size

 ◆ Geological characteristics

◆ Land use (e.g., residential)

◆ Top pollutants

◆ Health risks and causes

◆ Presence, condition, and numbers of aquatic life

 After researching and interpreting data about watershed pollution, each pair of students uses Glogster to create an interactive digital poster of its findings and an overall assessment of watershed health.  I would encourage students to embed hyperlinks within their post that contain additional information about their assigned watersheds. As part of the evaluation process, students view and constructively critique their peers’ digital posters. Alternatively, if web access is unavailable, students may construct traditional posters and present the information to their classmates in the form of a science conference and they may also use PowerPoint for the presentations.  I would ensure that all information is credited and well referenced to ensure that there is no breach of any copyright

 The table below analyses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of using Google Earth in classrooms

Strengths	Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
Google Earth is  a powerful classroom tool that incorporates components, or visual and emotional images to communicate and motivate students to learn about a particular topic	Google Earth requires Internet access on a reasonably fast connection	Google Earth supports students in learning because it also can serve as a motivational tool. It also encourages independent and collaborative learning, and improve student motivation and engagement.	Insufficient bandwidth would limit the utility of Google Earth in the classroom by disengaging students’ interests that is if the tool is not responsive to the user’s requests
The free version of Google Earth can be installed by any user.	Google Earth has three primary substantive requirements comparable to utilizing other technologies in the classroom: opportunity (time), motive (desire), and resources (skills and capabilities).	Students are not required to be at school in order to use the application  thus allowing students to utilize the application outside the educational atmosphere	Although Google Earth and its related sites have a breadth of data available, the student would need to understand how to create his or her own account to search for data not included in the Google Earth interface and then how to open the dataset once a desirable dataset is identified. In some cases the true accuracy and authenticity of data may not be readily available, which could pose risks to the educational value of the lesson.
There are also increasingly more services available to Google Earth with streaming media (for near-real-time information, such as satellite locations and weather updates).	Google Earth has limited capabilities and tools to support true spatial analytical operations. The tool does not have a query capability or the functionality to perform complex spatial operations—even in the non-freeware versions.	It also serves as a collaborative discussion forum for users to discuss data implications and evolution, as well as peripheral ideas.
The application is geared toward more point-and- click operations without complex menus and tools; non freeware versions provide a relatively powerful capability to develop and enhance functionality.

 

The table below shows how Google Earth can be used at each stage of the SAMR Model

 

Substitution	Augmentation	Modification	Redefinition
Instead of using paper maps and atlas students can use Google Earth to study areas for instance students can use Google Earth to identify and measure the distance of industries causing pollution to nearby water bodies.	To measure the distance between areas the students can use  Google Earth rulers instead of using traditional rulers on maps.	Google Earth can be used to teach students about various places. By using Google Earth in class students do not have to just see the place from space, they could see it from various angles and appreciate its depth in a virtual fly- through. The same is true for urban landscapes in various select cities across the globe. Students can study about a city or area without  physically visiting the areas. Students can use tools such as panoramio and 360 cities to research about a location	Students can use glogsters or PowerPoints to present their research findings on a particular topic for instance a topic on water pollution using Google Earth. This information can be shared with other students using wikis or other online spaces. This allows sharing of information among students. Students can also compare their findings with other students who may live close to the research area and have physically visited the areas.

Reference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8VVPd5_v84

Blank, L. M., Plautz, M., Almquist, H., Crews, J., & Estrada, J. (2012). Using Google Earth to Teach Plate Tectonics and Science Explanations. Science Scope, 35(9), 41-48.

Saunders, C., & Taylor, A. (2014). PINPOINTING WATERSHED POLLUTION ON A VIRTUAL GLOBE. Science Teacher, 81(3), 51-55.

 

Week 5 : Digital Technologies 3 and 4

In Week 5 we analysed the use of Group 3 Digital Tools consisting of PowerPoint, Prezi and Glogster and these are interactive presentation tools that can be used by students for learning and teachers for presenting content. This reflection will mainly focus on the use of PowerPoint in classroom environments.
Below is the link to my PowerPoint presentation on a science topic.

 "PowerPoint Presentation"

In this PowerPoint presentation, I inserted images and an audio clip. I also utilised animations and sounds for the presentation. The transition between words and paragraphs utilises timings or mouse click while transition between slides utilises mouse clicks.

PowerPoint is an easy multimedia authoring tool. Most people and students with computers can use PowerPoint without even training. In my Science classes I would use PowerPoint to deliver lesson content to students and at the same time I will assign students to different groups so that they can work on a project and at the end present their findings using PowerPoint. In science I can teach on environmental pollution. This will encompass identifying the sources of pollution.  I will use the mock company approach where I assign the students to different groups (four to five students per group) and indicate to them that each group represents a company. One group can be a biscuit or cookie making company. As a group they delegate authorities. The group will take responsibility for the development of environmentally friendly commodities and advertise for instance biscuits. Each member then researches information about their specific roles as bakers, packagers or marketers and then develop the key tasks to be completed. The students will identify waste generation streams from the time the flour and other ingredients are mixed into the kitchen, the use of packaging material, the waste generated during marketing (for instance they may use different media such as newspapers) and transportation until delivery to the shop. The students will then use PowerPoint to present about their mock company. As the teacher I will use modelling and scaffolding to guide students as they participate in an integrated inquiry. I will guide the students on the information that must be contained in their presentation. For instance one of my slides will indicate that students must identify the type of mock company, the processes involved in the manufacture of the products, the waste generated in the different stages of manufacturing until the product is sent to the consumers. Students will learn the key task lists, critical path and the students will become problem solvers.

This activity creates high order thinking together with the use of PowerPoint for presentation. As a teacher my slides will only offer the main contours of the lesson and this will only assist students with the organisation of material both in real lesson time and after the lesson is complete. The lesson notes will not give away an important conceptual solutions, development or surprises that might be employed to keep the lesson interesting. I will encourage the students to use images, process diagrams, mini movies and any other material deemed necessary in their final PowerPoint presentation of the mock company.

 

Strengths	Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
PowerPoints can be captured to video or DVD. After making a presentation using PowerPoint, students can ‘burn’ or convert copies of their presentations to DVDs	Some students may not have DVD players at home or computers that are readily accessible at home. It also needs skills and techniques to be able to convert the presentations into DVDs	By using PowerPoint and DVDs you can easily convey your message to the students and students will be in a position to watch the DVD from the comfort of their homes.  It also enhances face to face and off school teaching and learning	There is need to monitor the students watching the DVDs at home as they may swap the DVDs for other DVDs that they are not allowed to watch or that may contain illegal material.
A topic can be summarised using PowerPoint presentation and only the important points can be noted and these can be further elaborated as the lesson progresses	Some teachers and students can have excessive number of slides and too much information for one slide	If the PowerPoint presentation is orderly and neatly presented some students will easily remember the important points about a particular topic especially when they are revising for their examinations.	Some students may lose concentration and focus if too much information is presented at once
PowerPoint is a very versatile program. Students can create electronic portfolios, jeopardy movements and cartoons	Adding various things such as cartoons to PowerPoint presentations may be time consuming in terms of searching  for the  relevant cartoon for that particular topic	Students like being bombarded with imagery as a result this can improve the learning outcomes of students.	If cartoons are downloaded from the web they may be breach of copyright issues hence the need for crediting the sources.
PowerPoint welcomes interact activity. If the student does not understand a point, a change is just one click away.	PowerPoint promotes inactivity. Slide after slide reveals data that the students may have little to no part creating	.	High order thinking may sometimes be difficult to achieve in students when using PowerPoint.
	PowerPoint removes responsibility. It assumes that the student is a clean state and has nothing to contribute that can’t be covered with just a bullet point or mini-movie. Even if the slide asks questions students generally has little responsibility in its inception.
		Teachers can keep and update their slides for use with other students in the following years
The use of smart podium in PowerPoint allows the teacher or students to handwrite over any material on a computer screen.		Students develop other skills such as confidence in public speaking as they do PowerPoint presentations.

 

Uses of PowerPoint at each stage of the SAMR model

Substitution	Augmentation	Modification	Redefinition
Instead of using textbooks and workbooks the teacher can use PowerPoint to introduce the students to a particular topic in science. The teacher can only offer the main contours of the lesson and the students can organise and think more about the solutions and other developments related to that particular topic.	As a teacher I will be able to prepare PowerPoint presentations for my students and to cater for students will different learning needs I can convert copies of the presentations into DVDs or a movie so that the students can be able to watch the DVDs after school.	Students can work in small groups and they discuss about a particular project. They will come out with a PowerPoint presentation that will involve the use of images, video clips, graphs. They can also use smart podium to edit and input on their peers work.	Students can interact or collaborate on collaborative issues. Projects can be cross curricular and multidisciplinary by utilising the strengths of the students in different classes.  Also with the example of a mock company explained above students can get information from their parents who work in different manufacturing and processing industry. For instance if a student’s parent works in a biscuit manufacturing industry the students may ask the parent to take photos of the ingredient mixing process. The parent will ask permission from the responsible personnel to capture the images for their child. When the students get the photos they can then include them in the PowerPoint mock company presentation.

References:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7rg5rcRHiY

http://internet4classrooms.com/ideas_pp.htm

Week 4: Digital Technologies 2





 

This week's activity involved the use of media tools such as the podcasts, images and videos.  My reflection will focus on the use of images in classrooms. I managed to download photos and resize images using Mobaphoto. Below are two photos that I took using my Samsung phone and resized the photos and uploaded on my blog and wiki. I took the first photo at a mine site during a visit to the mine. Originally this photo was 1.81 Megabytes (Mb) on my mobile but when I used Mobaphoto to resize the image it became 51.3 Kilobytes (Kb). I have discovered that the use of Mobaphoto enables easy downloading of photos and it also saved space on my wiki and blog. The second picture of the giraffes was taken using a mobile phone at a zoo and its original size was 1.71 Mb but after resizing the photo it became 36.4Kb. The size and quality of images is important when using them in a classroom setup. In choosing images to use when teaching science subjects (biology and chemistry) I would consider images that would attract and motivate the students to be involved in the learning.

 

 I found the use of Mobaphoto very useful because I could use Mobaphoto in my own science classes to resize photos and display the students science projects and experiments on a class or school web page. Interaction with other schools on certain science topics can be enabled by using wikis. Due to the size of the photos, communication via email with parents on the progress of their children would be made easier by uploading resized images of students' projects. This will enhance learning as parents can motivate their children to take part in various science related projects. Images can be very useful in teaching science, before handing the students text about a particular topic, I would attach photos on my classroom wiki and the students will work in groups to try and identify the objects on the image and to explain what these image mean to them. As a teacher I would utilise images to achieve good learning outcomes by using the TPACK framework and an appropriate scaffold(CQUniversity Australia, 2012).  

 

In chemistry I would use images to document steps and procedures for students to follow when doing experiments on chemical reactions and titrations. Students will be able to visualise and follow the steps. An image of the titration colour of the end result of the experiment will be shown to the students so that they can try to achieve the same results.



 

The image above taken at a mine site could be used to teach science topics such as environmental pollution. As a teacher I would ask for permission to visit a mine site so that students can be made aware of the operations and the environmental implications that emanate from the activities at the mine site. I would ask for permission from the mine personnel to take photos. I would also discuss with the parents about the field trip and I would ask the parents for permission for students to be allowed to participate in activities such as capturing images.  As a teacher I would ask the students to bring in phones, digital cameras or anything that they can use to capture images. If the school provides these resources it will be an advantage. During the field trip I would encourage the students to capture images that they think will demonstrate environmental degradation as shown by the picture above. When we get to the classroom the students will work in groups to upload images of interest and  discuss each images in relation to environmental degradation. This will ensure high order thinking and as a class we will have permanent records of the images that we could keep referring to if need be. I could use the De Bono's six thinking hats as a scaffold on a wiki for students to explain mining and environmental implications.

This photo of giraffes was a captured at a zoo. This image could be used to teach about animal habitats and ecosystems. As a teacher I would capture photos of different animals in different habitats. Each student can then describing the habitats of the animals as demonstrated by the images.

One important issue about images is to know where to get them without breaching copyright issues. As a teacher I would ensure that my students are aware of these copyright issues and I would urge students to reference any images that may breach any legal conditions. My students will be aware of ethical, legal and safe guidelines.  I managed to use Flickr and the link below is for a picture on blasting that I accessed on Flickr. I found Flick easy to use and I was aware of the copyright issues as I was using the images.

Flickr Picture

Images support the Constructivist Learning Theory.  Students will be actively involved in the process of learning and knowledge. Learning will build upon the knowledge that  student already knows. By identifying images students can use the knowledge of what they already know and relate to new ideas.

Uses of images at each stage of the SAMR model

Substitution	Augmentation	Modification	Redefinition
Instead of using textbooks and workbooks the teacher can use an image to introduce the students to a particular topic in science. The students will explain what they see on the image in relation to the science topic. The image will be posted on a wiki and instead of using pencil, pen and paper, students will easily edit on the wiki space. Instead of using the situation where the teacher assumes a directive and authoritative role the images will enhance class discussions.	As a teacher I will be able to upload photos for students and parents  to have access to them either through emails and wiki. I would be able to use applications such as Mobaphoto to resize my photos and attach them for various science projects. Other applications such as Flickr would allow the downloading and uploading of relevant photos for use in my science classes.	Students can work in small groups and they discuss the images on different topics. They can post their discussion answers on a wiki which allow the students to  edit their peer’s work and provide comments on each other’s’ work.	Students can interact or collaborate on collaborative issues. Projects can be cross curricular and multidisciplinary by utilising the strengths of the students in different classes. For instance as a teacher I might ask my students to research about the habitats of animals found in a country like France. Instead of going to France my students can work collaboratively with the students who are already in France. My students can ask those in France to capture images of different animals in different habitats and they can share the information through classroom wikis. My students can they complete their research by analysing the shared images.

 

The table below analyses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of using images in classrooms.

 

 

Strengths	Weaknesses	Opportunities	Threats
Images can be used to introduce a topic or summarize a unit	Students can have different views and meanings about an image. Images are evocative and they can initiate a variety of associations. ‘A picture says a thousand words’.	Students can be motivated and stimulated by using images and they become more observant and express themselves	It can be difficult to reach an agreement or conclusion about an image as students may have different perspectives on a particular image. This may create confusion in some students.
By using images, reality of certain issues and the outside world can be brought into the classroom.	Images cannot depict motion as videos do.	Images can help clarify misunderstandings about certain topics. Images allow imagination and objective thinking. This increases the learning potential of students and it encourages high order thinking.
Images are convenient to use in classroom setup. Finding pictures and capturing images using mobile phones, cameras and other devices is easy and does not take a lot of time. Images can also be downloaded from various sources such as the web	If students are given permission to capture images using their mobile phones they can divert the use of the phones for other purposes such as Facebook. This will divert the attention of the students from the learning process. It can also be expensive for some parents to buy cameras and mobile phones for the students.	Images can be permanently stored in mobile phones or uploaded on a wiki and students can have access to the images when need arises.	If images are downloaded from the web copyright issues may be breached. Students and teachers must be aware of crediting the owners of various images.
By using images in classrooms, students can learn about places they have never been or objects they could not identify.		Images can help students expand their general knowledge. Images also enhance the integration of other skills when teaching for example listening and speaking skills can be enhanced.

 Reference
 Flick image : Blasting http://www.flickr.com
 
CQUniversity Australia. (2012). EDED20491- ICTs for learning design:

            online study guide. Retrieved from  

            http://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=115238