The 21st century has seen the introduction of
many new technologies and continual increased use of these technologies in
education. The term e-learning is used to refer to the intersection of
education, teaching and learning with information and communications technology
(ICT) (White 2013). E-learning is an important aspect of today’s curriculum as
it aids in engaging, enhancing and innovating learning (Fasso 2013) that will
improve students chances of becoming a success in their life after school. In
order to improve learning outcomes with the incorporation of ICT, effective
pedagogy is essential. Pedagogy can be defined as the craft of teaching, with a
positive interaction occurring between teacher and student (Fasso 2013). There
are three interconnected and mutually depending components of e-learning, which
include digital pedagogy, digital content and eLearning spaces. These three
aspects create a new light on education for the new generation of digital
learners. All three aspects must be present and balanced as displayed in figure
one in the classroom in order for effective learning outcomes (Education
Queensland 2008).
Figure 1: The three components required for balanced and
effective eLearning (Education Queensland 2008)
The four learning theories that need to be understood by teachers in
order to design effective learning activities for students include
behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism and connectivism. Please click
here to view an infographic that does
a brilliant job of explaining the basics of each theory. As described by
Edudemic (2013) and Fasso (2013) each of the learning theories being the
traditional three and connectivism introduced in the digital age all overlap in
one way or another making a combination of the four necessary for a complete
learning experience. To plan effective e-Learning the TPACK
framework and Blooms Taxonomy
are essential. The TPACK framework helps teachers make informed decisions about
how technology can support the content to transform learning and pedagogy that
supports the best learning outcomes. Whereas Blooms Taxonomy allows the teacher
to decide on the complexity and level of thinking their students will engage in
when undertaking an e-Learning activity (Fasso 2013). This reflective synopsis
will address how wiki activities, blogs, digital videos, prezi and bubbl.us are
effective e-Learning technologies that can support, facilitate and enhance
learning for the new generation ‘digital natives’.
The group one tools that were explored and created include blogs,
wikispaces and websites. After an exploration of each tool we were asked to use
an analytical tool/thinking routine such as PMI or SWOT analysis to evaluate
each one. Through my investigations with these three tools I have decided to
analysis blogs, however please feel free to explore the link to the other two
tools first. Please click here to
be taken to my blog posting where I have identified the features of wikispaces
and websites, undertaken a PMI chart for each, provided examples of how I would
use these tools in my classroom and provided links to the wiki and website that
I made. I have chosen blogs over the other two tools in this group because each
child in my class will be individual, seeing carefully scaffolded activities
allowing students to work in their individual zone of proximal development. If
desired a group blog can also be effective seeing students collaborate and work
as a team. I am aware that high-quality learning activities can be scaffolded
using wikispaces or websites and will be used at some point in my teaching;
however I think blogs are more of an individual approach to a students
learning. Effective scaffolded activities allow learners to ‘climb the ladder’
so to speak of Blooms Taxonomy from lower to higher order thinking and increasing
the complexity of their activities at a pace that challenges them but at the
same time is not too hard seeing them give up or work that is too easy, seeing
a student not being challenged and gaining new knowledge. Please click here to
read about the functions and facts of blogs, including a PMI chart on the use
of blogs in the classroom, examples of how to incorporate blogs into classroom
activities and the legal, safe and ethical guidelines that should be followed
when working in a blog. Make sure you check out the cyber
safety quiz, that I recommend all primary students undertake before being
allowed access to the web. To demonstrate that I am capable of using a blog and
therefore will be able to use it effectively in my classroom click
here to view the features of text, images, videos (using embed codes) and
web links that I have incorporated into a blog posting.
The group three tools that were examined and created include
PowerPoint, Prezi and Glogster. After exploration of these tools I decided to
analysis Prezi as it was the most appealing to me. Before discussing Prezi
further, please click
here to view my exploration of PowerPoint and Glogster. Prezi was the most
appealing tool to me because of its effectiveness in engaging an audience due
to the fantastic zooming feature. The ability to zoom in on text or images
allows teachers to get their students focused on the most important aspects of
the lesson. Arrows can be an effective feature used to point out minute detail
in images. When the arrow is clicked on, the screen is zoomed in to the tiny
detail that would otherwise not be seen if using PowerPoint. Prezi is an
excellent tool that can be used by all students in the class as it accommodates
all learning styles; visual, kinaesthetic and auditory (Rivers 2011) seeing
each student create their own individual presentation that suits their learning
style. Prezi can also be used as a collaborative tool seeing students from
schools around the world working on and adding to the same Prezi which would be
a fantastic cultural and educational learning experience for all involved.
Please click here
to view the ease of use, benefits for learning, examples of how I would use
this presentation zooming tool in my classroom, the Prezi that I made and the
legal, safe and ethical guidelines for using Prezi as it requires internet
access.
The wide variety of group four tools provided for exploration inspired
many ideas for their use in the classroom. The tool that I consider to be most
valuable to me in my classroom is the online concept mapping tool bubbl.us.
Bubbl.us is a Web 2.0 tool that is simple and easy to use, allowing the
creation of an online mind map (Web 2.0 Teaching Tools 2009). The simplicity of this tool and its technology
based nature makes it a fun and educational tool to incorporate into many
classroom activates. Mind mapping allows learners to arrange information or
ideas to suit their pre-existing ideas, prior knowledge and schema (Fasso 2013)
which encourages learners to express their creativity. The many features of
this tool allows learners to display their ideas on a topic, emphasizing
connections with the use of images, colours and symbols. By allowing students
to express their ideas using their most effective learning style with the use
of images, colours and symbols improves memory retention significantly (Web 2.0
Teaching Tools 2009). Teachers have the ability to scaffold student thinking
with the use of concept mapping to analysis the elements of a new or complex
subject initiating the use of critical thinking skills. Collaboration on a
topic causes students to build on each others ideas improving their critical
thinking and communication skills (Web 2.0 Teaching Tools 2009). Please click here to
read about the ease of use, benefits for learning, some ideas on incorporating
this tool into classroom activates, the mind map that I created using bubbl.us
and the legal, safe and ethical guidelines that should be followed when using
this online tool.
In summary, e-Learning aids teachers in supporting,
facilitating and enhancing learning for digital natives. To plan effective
e-Learning lessons it is essential that teachers have the TPACK framework and
Bloom’s Taxonomy in mind. When scaffolded correctly and incorporated into class
lessons wiki activities, blog’s, digital videos, prezi and bubbl.us support
cognitive development, facilitate learner centred activities and enhance
learning by forcing students to express their creativity, critical thinking and
higher order thinking skills. The four tools that have been analysed in this
reflective synopsis link ICT with the other Key Learning Areas, hence teaching
students the skills required in the 21st century workforce. These
tools are very versatile allowing teachers to create either collaborative team
or individual activities that are not restricted to the classroom. As
technology is a continual increasing factor in education it is essential that
legal, safe and ethical practices are discussed with students and modelled by
teachers to prevent any breaches of the guidelines.
The cyber smart quiz discussed earlier is a great way to test primary
school student’s knowledge of web safety before allowing them access.
After exploration of many digital tools over the
last five weeks I have learnt that technology is a must in the classroom of 21st
century learners, new educational technology resources are becoming available
all of the time and when using technology in the classroom you should always
have a plan b and c. I cannot wait to put some of my ideas discussed in this
reflective synopsis into action in my own classroom!
References
Bell,
A. (2004). Digital video tips for the
classroom. Retrieved from http://www.nevada.k12.ia.us/DigitalVideoTips.pdf
Educational origami. (2013). Bloom’s Introduction. Retrieved from http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+-+Introduction
Education Queensland. (2008). eLearning for smart classrooms. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/documents/strategy/pdf/scbyte-elearning.pdf
Edudemic.
(2013). A Simple Guide To 4 Complex Learning Theories. Retrieved from
Fasso, W. (2013). EDED20491 - ICT's
for Learning Design: Study guide. Rockhampton, Qld: CQUniversity, Australia
Larkin, J. (2012). Teaching,
technology and professional development. Retrieved from http://www.larkin.net.au/
Rivers, J. (2011). Benefits
of using prezi in the classroom. Retrieved from http://prezi.com/zgb-avk7pnfm/benefits-of-using-prezi-in-the-classroom/
Web 2.0 Teaching Tools.
(2009). Bubbl.us – Brainstorming,
Critical thinking, Creativity. Retrieved from http://www.web2teachingtools.com/bubbl_us.html
White, G. (2013). E-Learning
Definition. Retrieved from http://apo.org.au/commentary/e-learning-definition
