Week 4-Edmodo Reflection

Edmodo provides a free and secure social networking service for teachers and students. The site has many functions and has the potential to underpin the everyday functions of the classroom. Edmodo functions in the same way social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter do; students can post and create profile pictures etc which will in turn embed productive pedagogy 'Connectedness' into your classroom. Edmodo is secure in the way that teachers create a group and students use the special code to be able to access and join that group. There is also an option to develop groups within groups (could be used for collaborative tasks, reading groups where students can respond, etc.). There is a mobile and iPad app available for Edmodo, giving an option to allow 'Push Notifications' so that teachers and students are alerted when a new message is received.
Teachers can upload files and links that they can access from any device; allowing transition from room to room without any disruption. Teachers also have the opportunity to develop Polls where students vote. This tool could be used for a range of reasons; to choose an excursion destination, to develop an understanding of how students feel in the classroom, how much students enjoy a particular task etc. A full list of the functions available on Edmodo can be found HERE.
As I do not have a class of my own to test this tool with I have searched the Internet for what other teacher's opinions are if Edmodo. One teacher on her edublog (Felicity's EST430 Blog, 22 July 2011) suggested the only negatives she could find with the site were the fact that she spends hours trying to find old posts once she has closed the site as you can't simply search for a student and it shows you everything they have posted. This blog also suggested that the site is great for homework; the teacher can post the homework on Edmodo and if students have any questions regarding the homework, they can comment underneath and their peers or teacher can reply.

Edmodo can replace so many tools in the classroom. I would use it instead of S Drives, whole class emails, surveys, calendar, whole school notices, hard copy assignment details and so much more.

Week 5- Prezi Reflection

Upon my first glance at a Prezi I was instantly engaged! Amongst all the flips and turns were tiny details embedded (images, definitions, videos, links etc.) nicely into the main theme of the presentation. This bridging content fitted in evenly, without taking away the whole focus. Prezi's are not linear and therefore assist students to develop a global view of the world and all that it encompasses. When creating a Prezi, all functions revolve around that circular symbol. On a computer it is easy to use and in my own opinion it took less time to learn to use than PowerPoint. The functions of this tool are endless, including (but not limited to): - images
- videos
- hyperlinks
- zoom in and out functions
- share and edit functions
- concept map styling
(www.creativeeducation.co.uk/blog/index, 2012)

BEWARE: Be careful when using the zoom and move functionality as if used too often, it has the power to disengage and make your students feel sick!
This Prezi gave me some excellent insight into ways to use it in the classroom: Thoughts on using Prezi in the classroom. Prezi is highly interactive and is a prime example of Web 2.0. Prezi can be used by the teacher to help engage students, but more importantly the power could be handed to the people (your learners) to enhance their own learning and teach others around them. However for all it's glitz and glam, Prezi is not without it's faults. If not used correctly, Prezi does still have the ability to create that 'Death by PowerPoint' atmosphere in any classroom. If not careful you also have the ability to, as mentioned above, create a classroom full of students whose pale, green faces look like they just hopped off a roller coaster.

Week 4- Images Reflection

Images are not utilised to their full potential in the 21st century classroom, which is kind of silly really. It is commonly understood that pictures can tell a thousand words and they are not a new development in history. Images have been around for hundreds of years and they are still not being utilized as teaching tools. Why do we, as teachers, stand in the front of the classroom and talk for hours on end  and go home with a sore throat, when we could show students so many amazing things through visuals. Why talk to students about different perspectives throughout history and the world, when you can simply show students. The ever-changing role of women over the centuries can be shown through television ads and programs, product promotions, etc. 

An article by Sarie Drake (2011) on Mainstreet Host showed the following image of an add for ketchup in the fifties. How much clearer can the role of women in this day and age be explained? There is no way a teacher could explain this concept to students and get the full effect: 

Images can also be taken of students work to show a progression over time. Images can be taken of hand writing, drawing and colouring in, etc. I have also heard of teachers taking images of students writing techniques (of their actual hand) to show parents what they are doing wrong or how they have corrected it (J. Appo, 2012). Photos could be taken of students cooking or decorative skills in a Hospitality class to be added to their portfolio. This image of the coffee shown below (attribution of coffee art to April Fleming, 2012) was taken by myself to be used as an example of how pictures of students work can be taken to show improvements. I also resized this image.

Week 4- Reflection on Audio Recordings

I found Voki extremely difficult. Not that it was hard to work out, just that it didn't work very well for me. I attempted three times to create an account and once I had finally created a Voki it would not let me upload it  to my blog. Please see My Wiki to view my Voki on audio recordings.
I do understand how necessary it is to have the skills to be able to create audio recordings and publish them, and simply, practice makes perfect. I would be more likely to have students use audio recording tools to:

• Record their oral presentations 
• Create a radio program about a particular topic 
• There is an option in PowerPoint to be able to record an audio file directly on to the slide which would be a great tool for students who do not like to stand up in front of the class.

I may use tools such as the following as a teacher in my classroom:

• Use a Voki as a Hook in the lesson to get students engaged.
• Use Podcasts from iTunes that are related to what I am teaching. 

The use of already recorded Podcasts by industry professionals are just as good as books, if not better because they would commonly be more up to date. If the Podcast is available with images or videos this would be an added benefit. 

Week 3-Wiki Spaces Reflection

One of the Web 2.0 tools we were asked to reflect upon was a wiki spaces page. Initially I was unimpressed by wikispaces. I thought it would promote bullying in the classroom; a critical problem that teachers have to face in almost every classroom all over the world. The last thing I thought teachers needed was another tool that would allow the students to bully and intimidate one another. See my Previous Wiki Reflection to note my attitude towards wiki spaces. After viewing Kelsie Huntly's Blog about wiki spaces and completing my PMI Chart (below), I have found a new perspective of wiki spaces. I do agree with Kelsie when she says that it is much easier to use than a website or a Blog. The functions, which include, hyper linking, adding images, video, text, tables and colours, are easily understandable and accessible. It is a great collaborative learning tool and use of the history function will assist with the prevention of bullying. 

Rachael

Week 3-Weebly Reflection

In Week three of Managing E-Learning I was required to create a website through Weebly. I found many Pluses, Minuses and Implications for the use of a website.

Please view My E-Learning Weebly to see my PMI Chart for the use of websites in the classroom environment. 

I do like the use of a website through Weebly. In a website students can post images, videos links, text and tables, among many other functions. Students have the opportunity to personalise the website, relating to their interests and needs. However, I feel it is limited. It would be good to use for a multi modal assignment etc., however there is no option for collaborative, reflective practices. No other students or teachers can comment on the website. I would use a Weebly for the construction of a History or English assignment and students could post reports, essays, film reviews etc. on there while showing the steps to the construction of their assignment. The use of a website in the classroom reflects productive pedagogues Connectedness and Intellectual Quality. It also represents the Connectivism theory as the heavy use of ICT relates directly to the lives of most students.

Week 3- Blogger Reflection

Blogger is a great tool for the classroom environment if used appropriately. It is a great Web 2.0 example that has many functions. It allows students to be able to post images, links, videos and text in different fonts and colours. Although only the administrator can edit and change information posted on the Blog, other students and teachers can post comments underneath the Blog which may lead to further discussion. After conducting some research I have found many ways Blogs can be utilised in the classroom. Resourcing the Curriculum (2012) has a page about Blogs in Education and there you can view a vast array of ways that these blogs can stimulate meaningful learning in the classroom. The website shows that in a Health and Physical Education class a blog could be used as a health diary, where students can record their food intake and daily exercise over a period of time and then attempt to make changes to these habits. In a History classroom I would use a blog in two ways:

• The first; acting as a place where students can leave comments about good sources of information they have found about a particular assignment or just something they found interesting. Scaffolding questions would be appropriately utilised to ensure active engagement.
• The second would be as a sort of research reflective log. History is no longer about learning facts and dates. It is about acquiring the skills to be able to locate and use credible sources of information appropriately and understanding the nature of historical sources (bias etc.,). Students are often required to reflect upon their research journey, a step which is often not done well. The blog could be used as an attempt to engage students in reflective practices. It would be more successful than what is mostly being done in schools at the moment as blogs are a large part of student's lives in the 21st century (Connectedness). It also reflects Constructivist theories in the way that already acquired knowledge (or existing schemas) will be assimilated with the new knowledge. It forces metacognition in a way that is fun and interesting to the students. 

I have used a PMI Chart to determine the pluses, minuses and implication for the use of a blog in the classroom and because of this I feel as though I have developed a well thought out opinion of blogs in the classroom. 

Week 2- Wiki Reflection

From the large and differing posts developed in the Mobile Phones Wiki 1 page, it is evident that the activity was a success. I do believe that the activity worked well as an effect of the contributions of the group. I believe the activity is a reflection of the Social Cognitive Theory. We, as the students, were required to 'think about our thinking' in order to put each of the differing hats on and share our opinions. Our behavioural patterns were assessed through self-evaluation of our posts and we each considered and reflected on the perspectives and opinions of our peers. This activity created a triadic reciporal causation; an interaction between the three essential elements necessary to promote learning. The three characteristics being personal characteristics, behavioural patterns and social environment (Snowman et al., 2009).
The activity was also an example of Constructivisim. Each of us came to the activity with an attitude and opinion towards the use of mobile phones in the classroom, all of which I am sure were extremely different, for different reasons. Constructivist views of learning hold that meaningful learning occurs when people use existing schemes and the viewpoints of others to interpret the world around them. I believe the activity created an environment for us to utilise our existing knowledge and beliefs towards the subject and then reflect and comment on the opinions of others to increase our own knowledge and understanding of the subject. I believe the wiki page worked well for a group of adult learners being graded. However, for a classroom of teenager learners, I believe the wiki pages create an environment for bullying. The way the site does not show who posted, deleted or amended what, creates an environment for disencouragement and intimidation. If one of my posts on the wiki page had been deleted or amended I would have been extremely offended and disheartened. I probably would not have gone back on the page again and would have been cut off from the learning. I believe this activity could be utilised in a classroom, however it would be up to the learning manager's discretion to ensure the students are mature enough to respect each individual's opinion and to ensure that all students feel welcome to post. The Thinking Hats are a great way to show all perspectives of a situation. It would have been extremely easy for all of us to jump on the site and post about how devastating the use of mobile phones in classrooms would be for everyone involved and then log off again. Instead we had to put each hat on and think deeply in a Creatve, Inquisitive, Processive, Positive and Objective way.
Overall I did enjoy the activity, however before using in a classroom I would test the learners with other group activities.
Rachael

Week 2- TPACK reflection

I found that THIS link was really helpful when trying to understand what exactly TPACK is. In my opinion TPACK basically suggests that in the 21st classroom it is necessary to have an even balance of:
-the Content Knowledge
-the Pedagogical Knowledge
-the Technological Knowledge


(www.tpck.org, 2012)

It is necessary to use each of these three knowledges in the 21st century classroom to ensure meaningful and successful learning for your students.
To start with I did not understand the TPACK framework at all, however I think I was reading too much into it. It is quite simple really. It goes without saying that teachers need to have content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. It is just a matter of changing the mainstream attitude and making that technological knowledge a necessary and 'run of the mill' thing you will find in most classrooms around Australia. It is not a matter of using ICT whenever and however possible in the classroom, but to use the stimulus or activity that will work the best for you students and if that means a textbook then so be it, but if it is using YouTube, Blogger, Wikispaces or even PowerPoint, ensure its appropriate use.

Thanks for reading :)
Rachael

Week 2- Learning Theories Video

This is a video that I think is really cool. It is about Learning theories.
Rachael

Week 1- Reflection on Prensky

Good Morning All,
What an interesting way to begin our Managing E-Learning course by coming to realise that technology is not always a reliable tool. Our first tute yesterday screamed that message loud and clear. Though this does not mean that it should be bannished from the classroom altogether. This experience makes evident just how necessary it is to ALWAYS have a back up plan when lesson planning because not everything pans out as expected (this is not just in the case of technology). There are so many variables in individual classrooms that can either enhance or hinder the effectiveness of classroom activities. The main variable being the diverse range of students that sit at the desks in front of you, looking at you, all with extremely different expectations. I completely agree with Prensky about the fact that not all learners are digital natives. I have just turned twenty and grew up in a household where my Dad was mad about computers. I can remember being encouraged as a child when I had a question to just "google it". By the time I was thirteen I had my own computer. However, I do not consider myself a digital native. I came into this course nervous and frightened. I even take my computer to my parents house often because I forget how to do the scans on it. The thought of using technology in the classroom does excite me, but at this point in my life, my twelve year old brother can use my iPad better than I can. Now he is a digital native! My brother has never really been 'taught' how to use a computer and has never had to be encouraged to 'google it'. He just seems to naturally teach himself anything that he may be interested in. My sixteen year old brother taught himself to drive using YouTube. I agree with Prensky because I can see the differences in my own family. There is no solution to targeting all learning styles in one activity and I do not think there should be. In the 21st century it is adamant that students learn resilience and guiding them through their learning journey using a variety of teaching methods that may not always suit their learning style is an excellent way to start.
Until next time Bloggers! Rachael