I would just like to thank all my readers. Below is my action plan for the future...
I plan to continue with my blogs so that I can reflect upon my development and also to create a e-portfolio in the future.
I am committed to taking risks when it comes to unfamiliar technologies and down the track re-purposing any devices or programs in the classroom.
I plan on keeping up to date by networking and collaborating with peer pre-service teachers as well as online communities, twitter delioius..
I want to work on my collaborative wiki in order to share ideas, lessons and equipment in order to have a pool of resources that those involved can draw upon and instead of having a garage full of hardcopy books ect that people list what they have and can borrow from others.
In the process of uploading a Vodcast so stay tuned!
Thursday, 9 June 2011
Saturday, 4 June 2011
★ Too Cool 4 Skool? ★
The inevatability of the ‘technolgy classroom’, with fully intergrated
gadgets is quickly becoming realistic, excitingly realistic. There is already
an endless list of tech toys and devices out there just waiting to be utilised
in the classroom. Mishra and Koehler highlight in order to harness the
technology successfully the teacher must be fluent in the technoogies as well
as the knowledge of how to intergrate it. This issue of staying ahead of the
‘technology pack’ is daunting and I ask myself how am I going to to do? But it
just reinforces the idea of taking risks when I comes to this sort of digital
stuff. The collaborativity of the internet makes it easier to learn with
tutorials, e-training and support which is laced all through these websites and
programs, so taking risks isn’t so risky when you have all this help, you just
need to know how to find it…
The article introduces TPACK, an mouthful of an acronym; Teaching Pedagogy
And Content Knowledge. Let’s see, I think Miss James had a good way explaining
‘As educators, our job involves teaching (Pedagogy)
students specific subject matter (Content), align this with aspects of
Technological Knowledge and there you have your TPACK.’
 |
| How am I going to stay ahead of the 'tech-pack'? |
So pretty much TPACK is just an interconnected framework of knowledge for
teachers to intergrate new tech toys into their classrooms. I was entertained
by the description Mishra and Koehler gave about what new technology is and how pretty much everything is some form of
technology wether it be high or low and with each new technology comes
obstacles which we as educators must be triumphant in order to facilitate
digital learning. And remember; ‘Teachers need to develop a willingness to
play with technologies and an openness to building new experiences for students
so that fun, cool tools can be educational.’
Mishra, P. & Koehler, M. J. (2009). Too cool for school? No way!
Learning & Leading With Technology, 36(7), 14-18.
James, B.
(2011). R u TPACKED and ready? LearningITnow retrieved from: http://missjames-learningitnow.blogspot.com/2011/06/r-u-tpacked-and-ready.html
Images
are directly from Mishra and Koehler’s article, thank you!
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Stop Copying Me!
 |
| Copyright shouldn't be fuzzy! |
When posed with the question, if the school budget could only afford to
have 1 copy and 1 licence to a program that was restricted to one computer,
would you break copyright laws and copy it so that all computers, all student
could use it simultaneously? Hmm a
good question, which had the whole class discussing ways around it and other
options, and at the end of the day about 90% of us said yes we would be the
robin hood…
Just as Miss Coulson reflects on the same experience recalling her answer,
the same as mine, and that highlights that even though we would never shop-lift
but copy a program for the sake of education is, unfortunately the same thing,
stealing! I have seen the light, I know that I have never done it but this
experience has just reinforced that I will work around the limited supply of
technology if ever faced with the problem. Not only is copying software programs illegal but there are hundred of open source programs available for
FREE online as well as the creative commons such as Flickrcc that can be used
without having to pay and obtain permission to use. As well as the fact that the money paid to the software companies is used for developing new and innovative programs for the future so really we are shooting ourselves in the foot if we did copy. So dilemma averted, I will definitely
be utilising the free software available if ever faced with such a conundrum! 
Thanks to Flickrcc:
Image: 'my CC stickers
have arrived!!!'
Image: 'Copying...'
Image: 'fuzzy copyright'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/58764797@N00/1384247192
Stagecoach or Jet Plane?
Papert introduces
the idea of not only improving the ‘educational stagecoach’ but reinventing it,
evolving it into a 21st century jet plane. The article reflects upon
technology in schools and how the educational industry has limited short-term
goals for today’s classrooms and only focuses on improvement to the existing
practices and teaching basic forms of computer literacy and fluency that will
be required in the workplace… Papert stresses that schools only improve rather then utilise the
possibilities for changing the system that today’s technology allows for and
that if we don’t break the mould then this phenomena will remain constant.
As much as I
love my long division, Papert reinforces that the content and subject
frameworks that we pre-service teachers know today will be gone tomorrow. I can
only concur that though maths skills (including long division) are important,
it is impractical in the age of the calculator and in fact, I distinctly
remember thinking when I was a young student (a thousand years ago) why did we
have to know this stuff when I could just turn to a calculator for my
answers? Instead Papert divulges that we
need to be focusing on more problem solving skills as well as the ‘new basic’
skills like entrepreneurial thinking and project management which do sound all
very exciting but how?
The article
continues, describing the many aspect of what we perceive as a school that is
modelled on the teaching model created in the last century, will be warped to
mean and be something entirely different. With segregated classes, traditional
teaching pedagogies and ‘the line between
home-learning, school-learning and work will be blurred, perhaps abolished’.
It is awesome just imagining the teaching revolution that is happening right as
I type… and it has only begun.
Papert,
S. (2004). ‘Technology in Schools: To
Support the System or Render it Obsolete’. Retrieved from the Milken Family
Foundation website on 29th May 2011 from http://www.mff.org/edtech/article.taf?_function=detail&Content_uid1=106
Thank
you Flickrcc…
Image: 'Breakout'
Image: 'Numbers of
efficiancy'
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
A Learning Space Truly Special! No, Innovative!
As is Miss Coulson, I too was concerned as to how I will go about integrating technologies in my future classroom . However after having Glynis as a guess speaker in my tutorials she assured us that it could be done, just like Sliverton Public School. I was one of many (or all) of the class who sat at the edges of their seat watching how innovative this school is. Glynis had a horde of hands up asking questions with excitement. Like Miss Coulson I had never before seen or imagined a school that has one learning place and now want to do a practicum in this or a similar school. The way in which Silverton have integrated technology is truly ground breaking. I thought the Principal to be revolutionary how instead of buying IWBs for every classroom, they used the money to buy a variety of technology like iPads, Wiis, and a radio station, which you could clearly see how engaged that children were in their project based learning. This video is thought provoking on how as pre-service teachers can create successful meaningful learning environments with integrating technology!
Sunday, 29 May 2011
The Teacher's Budd:e
This week we were introduced
to the issue of cyber safety in and around the classroom. The Australian
Government has designed the Budd:e website to help students make informed decisions about their actions and
behavior when using the internet. I can relate to Miss Kate’s blog about how
thought provoking the lecture had been and how it also got me thinking that a
website is all well and good but there needs to be a carefully designed school
program in order to keep the kids safe. We both agree, Miss Kate and I that it
is a team effort between parents and teachers for full coverage of safety in
cyberspace. I don’t think we should wrap our kids in cotton wool be make them
aware of associated dangers and what sensible behavior they should have, in
relation to cyber bullying.
I thought I all my social
networking sites were set to private and that only friends I accepted could see
my details and photos but after the tutorial I was shown that you need to vigilant
with cyber-privacy and the video we were shown is concerning and thought provoking…
Thank you:
Australian Government for Budd:e and the image used above.
http://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/
Thinkyouknow.co.uk for the video.
'Jigsaw: Assembly for 8 to 10 video'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_o8auwnJtqE
Monday, 23 May 2011
To the frontiers... AND BEYOND!!
I have found the
‘Learning Conversations’ blog by Matthew Kearney to be full of useful advice
and thought provoking ideas. After leafing over Miss James’ blog I was curious when
she talked about Gardner’s MI, gaming and by the link from Learning
Conversations to Dawn Hallybone’s ‘Learning without Frontiers’ video.
Hallybone, an innovative thinker working to revolutionise the way we educate
our 21st century students by not following traditional
pedagogies but one of her favourite past times, video gaming. Hallybone
describes how integrating video game technology into her teaching practices is
not only a positive but motivational experience for learners as well as
improving outcomes and continues by supporting the new teaching pedagogy, of
‘the guide on the side’ that was originally introduced to me by my lecturer.
Before watching this stimulating video I never thought Nintendo DS could be
anything but babysitters, once again I was wrong. With select games, Hallybone
describes playful learning that allows students to develop competencies like
teamwork, numeracy, and literacy and of course problem solving and so much
more. The benefits are abundant, it enables students to collaborate,
investigate and communicate with classmates as well as with the wider online
audience.
 |
| Unlimited Opportunities! |
It is unsurprising
when normally unenthusiastic students are suddenly engaged and grades are
improved with the integration of familiar (and fun) technology. We have come so
far already with video game development, future educational opportunities are endless
and exciting. As a self confessed gamer that always believed games were not
just silly time wasters, I want to thank Miss James, Hallybone and Kearney for
highlighting the benefits and power of educational gaming!
Image: 'Streetfighter
360'
Image: 'PAL (European)
SNES'
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