Reflective Synopsis

“The professional environment that new teachers will enter is rapidly changing due to the confluence of a number disparate currents for change” (Heath, 2001, p. 3). Advances in technology, globalization, social change, the new knowledge economy and ICT integration, have, by association, changed the face of education (Heath, 2001, p. 3; Houghton & Sheehan, 2000; Lynch, 2005). Throughout my journey in ICTs for Learning Design, I have indeed learnt that pedagogical approaches and learning sites have changed dramatically since I began my education 20 years ago. I reflect upon this in my post 'Learner-centric and Teacher-centric Education.'

Over the past 8 weeks, I have experimented with various tools and approaches available for eLearning design, whilst participating in an online ‘community of practice’ with my GDLT peers, and engaging in professional conversations with; teachers, GDLT students and other individuals at CQUniversity (see for example my post on ‘Student Diversity’). This reflective synopsis highlights the key ICTs and pedagogical strategies I’ve discovered and how I intend to implement them, in order to; facilitate, support, enhance and extend the learning of students.

e.Journal posts:

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-does-it-mean-to-be-teacher-in-21st.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/icts-and-diversity-program-sucess-at.html

Voki Avatars

When introduced to Voki avatars, I immediately recognized their immense potential for education. Vokis can be customized to suit a range of purposes, which I discuss in a post on vokis. Students can personalize their work, be creative and express themselves. In my teaching, avatars could serve as an exciting ‘hook’ for lessons, or to introduce a topic or homework (be it online or in the classroom). As Scot Aldred commented, avatars can also be a powerful tool for literacy development, as students can ‘play’ the text they’ve typed and learn how letters, punctuation and words relate to sound (S. Aldred, personal communication, 23 March, 2010). Furthermore, avatars cater to visual and auditory learners, addressing Smith, Lynch and Mienczakowski’s (2003) LMQ 5.

e.Journal post:

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/avatar-is-more-than-blockbuster-movie.html

Blogs and RSS

As mentioned in the post ‘Interesting Viewing,’ learning is enhanced when students learn with technologies they are familiar with and use outside of school; blogs and RSS are two such technologies. Effective learning (Dale’s Cone) and high retention (Learning Pyramid) transpires when students are involved in active learning (Abilene Christian University Adams Center for Teaching Excellence, 2000). Moreover, students can develop independent learning skills and become active participants in their own learning via blogs (Ahrenfelt & Watkin, 2008, p. 64). Blogs also offer a global audience, motivating students to; produce their best work and to; analyse, evaluate and critique posts, thereby engaging in higher order thinking and productive “Habits of Mind,” such as; self-regulated thinking (Marzano & Pickering, 2009) and striving for accuracy and precision (Costa, 2010).

Blogs can be; an avenue for creative writing, a reflective space, a means to digital literacy, a place to document class projects, or a tutorial or homework space. They can extend interactions and enhance learning outside school walls, at times that suit the learner. ‘A blog on blogs,’ details the advantages and uses in education, elaborating on ten applications offered by Pearce and Bass (2008). In this course, I found Google Reader invaluable, as I followed the blogs of my peers. My post on RSS further details eLearning applications for RSS aggregrators.

e.Journal posts:

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-came-across-this-short-youtube-video.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-on-blogs.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/rss-google-reader-blog-followers-best.html

WIKIs

WIKIs are an ideal tool for engagement and to foster learner belonging (a pre-cursor to motivation), as recommended by Kunc (1992). WIKIs hold tremendous potential for; collaboration and self-directed learning (‘Relate’), creative, purposeful, project-oriented activities (‘Create’) and meaningful, authentic tasks (‘Donate’), all of which underpin Kearsley and Shneiderman’s Engagement Theory (1999). Referring to the post on ‘Wetpaint.com,’ the WIKI I designed could be used by a group of art students to collaborate (‘Relate’) and produce an online art gallery (‘Create’), which could then be viewed by interested parties, and even form assessment (‘Donate’), addresssing LMQs 5 and 7.

‘The Power of WIKIs,’ details eLearning applications, which include; creating online text books, collaborative creative writing, class projects and for teachers, a place to share resources. WIKIs foster; teamwork, problem solving skills, social and interpersonal skills and the capability to learn; all important skills in a futures-oriented, knowledge economy (Houghton & Sheehan, 2000, p. 21; Lynch, 2005). Due to the collaborative and transparent nature of WIKIs, associated lessons or assignments are also an ideal means to promote; netiquette, cooperation and ethical and legal online practices. ‘A Practical Consideration re. Student Use of Wikis,’ notes that allowing student responsibility for WIKIs, imbues ownership and lessens webspace breaches.

e.Journal posts:

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/draft.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/wikis.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/power-of-wikis-write-edit-collaborate.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/wikis-democratic-knowledge-creation-or.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/wikipedia.html

Flickr.com and Picnik.com

Images, like music, have the power to evoke emotion, and enrich learning. The post on Flickr explores how Flickr.com could be used for students to; document and share learning experiences via online photo galleries, create online portfolios of visual work, source images and engage in social conversations with individuals across the globe. As stated in my ‘Picnik’ post, image manipulation can be used to; foster creativity, develop digital skills and engage students in active, hands-on tasks, for example editing an image for a Mother’s Day Card. Creative and enjoyable activities such as this, helps foster positive attitudes and perceptions about the classroom climate and classroom tasks (Marzano & Pickering, 2009).

e.Journal posts:

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/flickr.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/flickr.html

e.Portfolios

‘Exploring Mahara as an e.Portolio Tool’ documents my experimentation with Mahara and the learning opportunities e.Portolios present. Secondary students could document their; work, resume, goals and skills for; potential employers, tertiary admission or scholarship panels. An aspiring journalist for example, could create views of their writing and photographs. Mahara could also be used in secondary schools for assessment purposes. In primary schools, learners could record their goals and skills (which would inform LMQ 2), and create views of their ‘best work.’ My teaching e.Portfolio will be invaluable as I seek employment, and in my career to share lesson plans with teaching colleagues.

e.Journal post:

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/exploring-mahara-as-eportfolio-tool.html

Youtube, PowerPoint and SlideShare

The posts ‘YouTube’ and ‘My 4/5 Science Lesson’ discuss how I’ve incorporated videos into learning experiences to consolidate knowledge and enhance learning. YouTube and PowerPoint facilitate multimedia lessons, and can be used to cater to diverse learning styles (Felder, 1988) and multiple intelligences (Birmingham Grid for Learning, 2010). In my lesson on ‘the layers of the earth’ for example, students with dominant musical intelligence profited from the musical video played. ‘SlideShare’ can be used by teachers to store presentations and share them with colleagues (illustrating how ICTs streamline teaching practices). Narration and videos can also be added to presentations, and made available to students on SlideShare to access outside class.

e.Journal posts:

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/draft_20.html
http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/slideshare.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/year-45-science-lesson-inside-earth.html

Interactive White Boards

ICTs are a cross-curriculum priority for the Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) and Education Queensland (EQ), with initiatives such as; Smart Classrooms, The Learning Place and Curriculum Exchange, highlighting EQ’s commitment to embedding ICTs in all facets of learning (Department of Education and Training, 2006). From my observations, IWBs are the cornerstone of ICT integration in primary schools. This year, I've visited three state schools, all of which use IWBs extensively. ‘IWBs – The Blackboard of the 21st Century’ highlights the benefits for teachers and learners.

As I’ve discovered first hand, learning in a classroom with an IWB, becomes a visual and interactive experience; facilitating hands-on, student-centred learning. When given the opportunity to answer questions and physically interact with the board; attention levels, excitement and participation in the classroom rise exponentially (see ‘My Year 4/5 Science Lesson’ in which students developed a KWL on the IWB). With increased engagement, learning effectiveness and achievement is enhanced.

e.Journal posts:

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/iwb-blackboard-of-21st-century.html

http://ictslearningdesign.blogspot.com/2010/04/year-45-science-lesson-inside-earth.html

My professional blog has proven a valuable reflective and communicative tool. I’ve come to realise that my role as a learning manager will be that of a; teacher, researcher, life long learner, facilitator, collaborator and eLearning manager. My learning journey is only just beginning. Research, technology and conceptions of ‘best practice’ teaching and learning are constantly evolving, and my e.Journal will continue to support my eLearning discovery and experimentation.

I’m keen to continue implementing the ICTs and pedagogical approaches I’ve encountered thus far, as I design engaging eLearning experiences that provide students with opportunities for creativity and higher order thinking. From Google Earth, to Dvolver, to WIKIs and the other technologies discussed above, eLearning has changed the face of teaching. Through ICTs, students can now experience and ‘achieve in’ an education that is; borderless, engaging, authentic, creative, motivating, stimulating, collaborative, individualised and satisfying!

References

Abilene Christian University Adams Center for Teaching Excellence. (2000). Why use active learning? Retrieved from http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm

Ahrenfelt, J., & Watkin, N. (2008). Innovate with ICT: Enhancing learning across the curriculum. New York: Continuum International Publishing Group.

Birmingham Grid for Learning. (2010). Multiple intelligences. Retrieved from http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/custom/resources_ftp/client_ftp/ks3/ict/multiple_int/index.htm

Costa, A. (2010). Describing the 16 habits of mind. Retrieved from http://www.mindfulbydesign.com/about-habits-mind

Department of Education and Training (2006). ICTs and curriculum. Retrieved from http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/area/ict/index.html

Felder, R. (1988). Index of learning styles (ILS). Retrieved from http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSpage.html

Heath, G. (2001). Teacher education and the new knowledge environment. Paper Presented at the Australian Association for Educational Research Conference. Retrieved from http://www.aare.edu.au/01pap/hea01582.htm

Houghton, J., & Sheehan, P. (2000). A primer on the knowledge economy. Victoria University. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-course, EDED20491 ICTs for learning design, http://e-courses.cqu.edu.au

Lynch, D. (2005). Learning management [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED20491 ICTs for learning design, http://e-courses.cqu.edu.au

Kearsley, G., & Shneiderman, B. (1999). Engagement theory: A framework for technology-based teaching and learning. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-course, EDED20491 ICTs for learning design, http://e-courses.cqu.edu.au.

Kunc, N. (1992). The need to belong: Rediscovering Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Retrieved from http://www.normemma.com/armaslow.htm

Marzano, R. J. & Pickering, D. J. (with Arredondo, D. E., Blackburn, G. J., Brandt, R. S., Moffett, C. A., Paynter, D. E., Pollock, J. E., & Whisler, J. S). (2009). Dimensions of learning: Teachers manual (2nd ed.). Alexandra, VA: ASCD.

Pearce, J., & Bass, G. (2008). Technology toolkit: Introduction to web 2.0. South Melbourne, VIC: Nelson Cenegage Learning,

Smith, R., Lynch, D., & Mienczakowski, J. (2003). The bachelor of learning management (BLM) and education capability: Why we do not prepare teachers anymore. Change: Transformations in Education, (6)(2): 23-37. Retrieved from CQUniversity e-courses, EDED20491 ICTs for Learning Design, http://e-courses.cqu.edu.au



Comments Posted on the e.Journals of GDLT Colleagues

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YouTube - Catering to Learning Styles

Youtube, TeacherTube and similar video sites provide a wealth of ready made educational videos which can serve to complement learning experiences. I am currently focusing on a science unit in my 4/5 EPL class where the students are studying the layers of the earth, volcanoes, rocks and minerals.

Included below are two great youtube videos about rocks. Below these videos, I describe the first video and my pedagogical rationale for using it in a lesson.





The first video above introduces students to the three main types of rocks – sedimentary rocks, igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks. The video describes each type of rock, how it is formed, provides examples/ images and other interesting facts. This video would be great to play towards the conclusion of a lesson on the three types of rocks to consolidate the learner’s knowledge and enhance the learning experience. Playing this video may serve to excite students about the study of rocks, whilst supporting the various learning styles and multiple intelligences in the classroom.

Visual/spacial and auditory learners for example, would benefit from listening to a different voice explaining the rocks types and seeing examples. On a practical note, another reason for playing this video is that certain rock samples can be difficult for teachers to access, however playing a video such as this allows students to actually see what it is that they are learning about without leaving the classroom.  Included below is a power presentation I created (incorporating this video) for a science lesson I will be delivering on Thursday.

Please feel free to share your thoughts or offer any feedback.

Rocks and the Rock Cycle

View more presentations from Karlee K.

Music for Learning - Exploring Incompetech

Today I completed the learning activity on royalty free music - visiting www.incompetech.com and downloading a piece of music to my hard drive (which I uploaded to a music hosting website and included in a link here: zSHARE - Swimmey Texture.mp3). The piece of music I chose was a calm, relaxing number called Swimmey Texture. A music file such as this would be perfect to play through the IWB sound system as the class completed a quiet activity at their desks or participated in silent reading. A more 'up-beat' track would create a more appropriate mood for times when students are tidying up the room or are involved in a more active task, such as an art activity.

During our tutorial group’s visit to Parkurst State School earlier this month, Kath Warcon (a year 4/5 teacher), described how she often plays educational tracks from itunes (that she has downloaded for free) as the students; prepare for another activity, are moving about the room or tidying up their places. Kath also uses music as an instructional strategy. When it comes time for students to finish up a task (in preparation for lunch or another activity), she plays ‘the popcorn song’ through her ipod and the IWB sound system. Whenever students hear the song, they know that it is time to pack up and finish what they were doing. Another example she gave (and played for us), was a number facts song which the students sing along to. Thus, music can also serve as a direct educational tool and would be ideal for those students with a strong musical intelligence (Birmingham Grid for Learning, 2010).

Music could also be incorporated into lessons as a hook or as a background track in power point presentations - further enhancing the learning process. Music, like images, can be a powerful tool for evoking emotion in learners and can contribute towards creating a positive classroom climate (DoL 1).  Furthermore, music stimulates another sense among learners and according to The Abilene Christian University Adams Center for Teaching Excellence (2000), the input stage of active learning involves input from multiple sources and multiple senses. Thus, by incorporating music into lessons, teachers promote active learning.

Google Earth

Today I experimented with Google Earth - viewed Yeppoon from above, found my house (shown right) and zoomed to street level. I also 'flew' to places of interest (including Yeppoon State School where I am completing my EPL) as well as famous locations across around the world.

However, Google Earth is much more than a tool for finding and viewing 'where you live' or 'Rodeo Drive in Hollywood.' This digital tool can support and enhance learning experiences and become an integral tool in the lessons teachers deliver. In Joe Wood's blog , he explains how Google Earth can be used in the classroom (video below). For example, on Joe Woods' blog, he mentions an activity in which student can create placemarks and map the paths taken by famous Americans - what a novel idea for the presentation of a SOSE assignment.

I also learnt that Google Earth can be used to make a 'global tour' and began considering how I could use this functionality in my teaching. A Year 7 English assignment for example, could involve students creating a presentation 'About Me' using Goolge Earth. The learners could search for and find landmarks (for example, where they were born, where they went to school, their childhood home, places they went to holidays), add placemarks on those locations, edit the placemarks (by adding a title, description and photo) and then save and share the virtual tour they have created of their life's journey. Through activities such as this, students participate in active learning. As Google Earth is available on the web, the project could be completed on classroom computers or at another location, such as their home or the library.

I also believe Google Earth would be a great tool to use when explaining the theory of Pangaea and the concept of continental drift during a science lesson for my EPL class. The world as presented in Google Earth could be projected onto the IWB and students could see how the various continents may have once joined together. For example, as the class sees the image shown right, you could ask them if they can see how the American and African continents were once been connected.

The science unit I am delivering also looks at volcanoes and Google Earth could be used to create a tour of the world’s active volcanoes for presentation to the class. In a secondary context, consider how much more exciting Geography lessons would be if students could view the world, continents, states and landmarks on Google Earth, rather than in their text books. These applications demonstrate how Google Earth can be used in the classroom (and outside the classroom) to support and enhance learning in a meaningful and engaging way.

SlideShare

SlideShare is a great site for teachers to keep their presentations in one place for easy access and re-use (and to even share them with other teaching professionals or their students). A feature of SlideShare is that you are able to embed videos and audio files into your presentations. Using SlideShare, I embedded a video 'The Layers of the Earth Rap' from YouYube into my 4/5 Science lesson presentation (below).

Audio files (such as a narration of the presentation) can be uploaded into SlideShare and synchronized with the slide transitions in presentations. This feature demonstrates how ICTs could be used to support learning outside the classroom, for instance, learners can listen to your presentation of the material when you are not physically present. As I do not have computer microphone, I was unable to add personal narration to my presentation, instead I downloaded some royalty free music and added the audio file to my presentation. I can certainly see the benefits of doing so for your learners. Adding an audio component (be it music or a narration), serves to stimulate a further sense, and would be particularly advantageous to auditory learners or those with a dominant musical intelligence.

4/5 Science Presentation

WIKIPedia

WIKIPedia is the world’s most extensive WIKI and online encyclopaedia, providing teachers and learners alike with access to information and images on every topic imaginable. Today I searched of WIKIpedia for resources to use in the science unit I am teaching during my EPL on ‘Inside the Earth’ and came across a vast amount of information on every topic my learners (and myself) could refer to during this unit – from volcanoes, to rocks, to the layers of the earth, to tectonic plates, continental drift and more. Many of the students in the class are aware of WIKIpedia (as I have seen some of them searching the site whilst using the classroom computers).

During one of this week’s science lessons, I will demonstrate how to use WIKIpedia to search for content on the unit of study. As students raise questions about what they are learning, I will invite them to come up to the IWB and type in a term (they are interested in finding more about) in the WIKIPedia search function and to then share what they find with the class. In this way, the site can be used as way for students to aquire information, actively participate in their own learning and develop their digital literacy skills.

Later this term, students will be working in small groups (‘Relate’) to develop (‘Create’) and present to their peers and parents (‘Donate’) a project on an aspect of ‘Inside the Earth’ (be it the different types of rocks or continental drift for example). The project will be completed both in class and outside of the classroom (likely in their home, the library or a friend’s house). WIKIPedia can be used by the students to research the topic regardless of location and I will make this benefit of the site explicit to students whilst explaining the task.

Flickr

Flickr is the portal of choice for storing images and accessing images made available from individuals located around the world.

Earlier this month, I added some recent images to my existing Flickr account, one of which is included below.

P1310100
Originally uploaded by KazaEK

I also added the below images from Flickr to my blog. There are countless photos available on the site and the search tool makes it easy to find what you are looking for.

fireworks on the willamette river - _MG_8698
Originally uploaded by sean dreilinger

In the past, I've used Flickr as;

A. a repository for my personal photos and

B. a means to search for images of interest.

However, as a pre-service teacher, I now see this site in a different light. In considering how Flickr can be used in classrooms and how the site fits in with the pedagogical frameworks discussed in ICTs for learning design, I've discovered a range of new teaching and learning applications which will now be discussed.

Thus far, my postings have focused on publishing text-based content to the web, but online photo galleries and image repositories such as Flickr present opportunities for teachers and learners to publish images to the web.

Flickr allow teachers and learners alike to create photo albums and multimedia shows to share with their parents, friends, teachers, the community and others around the globe. My EPL class at Yeppoon State School for example takes digital photos throughout the year during class activities and school events. Flickr would be a great space for the class to upload their images in one place - allowing the students and other audiences to access the images and see what has been happening in the class regardless of their location.

Flickr is a great way to document and share teaching and learning experiences - field trips, school camps, practical activities, fetes, functions, guest speakers and more could all become part of a class or school ‘photo stream.’ Furthermore, classes and learners can create separate albums for related pictures. Teachers could even encourage learners to create an online portfolio with digital images of their work. For example, a visual art class or students studying a photography unit could create an online gallery of their work on Flickr. Thus, the site is ideal for facilitating learning through images and catering to the visual learners in your class.

Flickr also affords its users a global audience, other people are able to located images by the tags you add, view descriptions added to your images and comment on those images. Thus, an online dialogue with other Flickr users can be created and learners can become involved in a community that contributes images on particular topic, creating a sense of belonging among students as recommended Kunc (1992).

You can also create an RSS feed in Flickr and be alerted when photos related to a topic you are studying are uploaded onto the site. Flickr is also a fantastic resource for learners to source images for school projects and for teachers to find images to include in lesson materials – as most photos are publicly available and can be used by anyone (provided of course, that you reference the image to Flickr). Hence, Flickr is ideal for introducing your learners to the world of digital images/ online image publishing and encouraging them to engage in social conversations/ collaborative learning with Flickr users and other students from all over the world.

Picnik and Image Manipulation

I really enjoyed using Picnik in this learning activity – who knew there was a far superior version to ‘Paint’ available free of charge on the web?

During this learning activity, I:

1. created a Picnik account,

2. uploaded an image,

3. edited the image using the various tools available (e.g. cropping, resizing, rotating, auto-fixing, sharpening, altering the colours/ contrast),

4. ‘created’ the image (adding further effects and a frame) and

5. saved the image to my computer, uploaded it Flickr and posted it to my blog.

I repeated this process using another image and the results can be seen below.

Original Photo...............................Photo After Editing.

Original Photo................................Photo After Editing.

Images: Personal photos taken and edited by Karlee Kreis

 

As you can see in the 'Coke Bottle Building' photo, the 'Neon' effect in Picnik enabled me to manipulate the image in a way that expressed the coke brand (and colour) and is far different from the original photo I took whilst on a study tour in China (I come from a Marketing background and previously worked for Coca-Cola Amatil).  Note that the image/ title at the top of my Blog (Karlee's e.Journal) was editied in Picnik and I found the process of customising an image for my blog very rewarding,

Picnik would be a great image manipulation tool for students wishing to edit images for class projects, their wiki or blog. Using the site could become a lesson in itself, where students learn how to manipulate digital images and then perhaps post them onto their (or the class) Flickr account.  The hands-on nature of Picnik would also foster creativity and could be used in learning experiences underpinned by engagement theory (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). For instance, students could collaborate (relate) to build an online photo gallery of digitally altered images on Flickr on the topic being studied (Create) and make these images available to an outside audience, be it their peers, the teacher or parents (Donate).

For lower primary grades, the images created could be used in special occasion cards (e.g. for Mother’s Day) or compiled and presented in a power point presentation to parents during a parent conference in the classroom. 

In fact, I am so enthusastic about Picnik, that I will be working with the learners in my ELP class next week to edit an image in Picnik for their Mother's Day card (example left).

Picnik is yet another digital tool that enables active, hands-on learning (as students use multiple senses, in an active process to produce a product as per Dale's Cone (Abilene Christian University Adams Center for Teaching Excellence, 2000). Referring to the Learning Pyramid, using Picnik would also enable higher retention of the skills learnt and the learning experience itself through practical experience (Abilene Christian University Adams Center for Teaching Excellence, 2000). Picnik is my new favourite website and I can't wait to share it with the learners I'm currently working with.

Dvolver Movie Maker

Thanks to Kris Holden, I too discovered Dvolver.com.

With this website, it is so easy to create your own movies in cartoon or 3D. I can see this being particularly useful in dramas classes and English lessons. It would be a great way to encourage creative writing or generally foster creativity among your learners (a key idea behind Sir Ken Robinson's presentation 'Do schools kill creativity). The site would be ideal for teaching the concept of dialogue and plot, as well as punctuation, spelling and grammar since learners can see the results of the text they type in as they preview their mini-movies.

Using this website would be a fun and exciting way to engage learners... imagine an English lesson in which you are looking at narratives and story telling. Wouldn't creating a mini-movie using this website be a fantastic way for small groups of students (or even the whole class) to collaborate on a story, present it to an outside audience (for example, their parents or peers), all the while being engaged in a direct, hands-on purposeful learning experience (in accordance with Engagement theory and Dale's Cone)? The 'Active learners' in your class (Felder & Soloman, 2009) and those with dominant visual, musical and/ or linguistic intelligences (Birmingham Grid for Learners, 2010), would surely benefit from a learning experience involving Dvolver.

This is a fantastic site, and I'm sure students would find it as much fun to use as I did. I highly recommend visiting the site, and having a go at creating your own mini movie, or even better, introducing it to your EPL class and working it into one of your lessons!

Kind regards,

Karlee

My Year 4/5 Science Lesson - Utilising Power Point and IWB Technology

On Friday 23rd April, I delivered a science lesson to the Year 4/5 I have been placed with for my first EPL. The lesson was designed to introduce a new unit of work called "Inside the Earth" - where the student's will be learning about; the layers of the earth, volcanoes, tectonic plates, rocks and minerals etc. I used this lesson as an opportunity to implement some of the ICTs I have been studying in this course, namely Power Point and IWBs.

As it was the first lesson in a new unit of work, I decided to develop a KWL with the students. A KWL table was drawn onto an IWB flipchart, and when students had an idea to contribute, they raised their hand, told the class ‘what they know’ about the topic (and later) 'what they want to know' about the topic, and then wrote their contribution on the board – the class copied down these contributions into a table in their books as we went along. I used a KWL as a KWL chart is great way for teachers to determine; what their learner already knows (LMQ 1) and where their learner needs/ wants to be (LMQ 2).

In the second part of the lesson I used power point as a teacher-based presentation tool to present information on the various layers of the earth. To finish, we labelled the layers of the earth on a diagram and watched a fun YouTube video - ‘The Layers of the Earth’ rap (which can be viewed at the end of my SlideShare presentation below).

I’m quite familiar with PowerPoint and incorporated various media and visuals to cater to the diverse learning preferences of my class as recommended by Felder (1988). For example, visual learners benefits from the text, text animations and YouTube video, auditory learners benefited from hearing my voice as I read the text and listening to the musical YouTube video and kinaesthetic learners benefited from writing on the IWB and copying the information into their books.

I also included a link to the YouTube video in the presentation which helped the lesson flow and created a seamless learning experience as I didn’t need to switch between programs on my laptop and track down the video on YouTube before playing it. By viewing the power point tutorial on the course site I certainly see that powerpoint can become a multimedia experience for learners – video, audio tracks, animations, tables, graphs and the like can all be incorporated into your presentation which gives teachers a range of ways to present information, cater to diversity in their classroom and accommodate various learning styles.

I did however find it slightly challenging to keep the information presented on the slides to a minimum – I ended up using dot points and key words which became talking points for my lesson. After viewing the YouTube video on our moodle site (re. the dangers of overusing the technology/ common mistakes made in preparing a presentation), I'm happy to report that my presentation was void of clashing colours, information overload, distracting animations and the like.

Engagement theory is a conceptual framework for technology based teaching and learning and aspects of this theory underpinned my lesson. Kearsley and Shneiderman’s (1999) engagement theory holds that “students must be engaged in learning activities through interaction with others in worthwhile tasks.” According to Kearsley and Shneiderman (1999), engaged learning occurs in a group context, is project based and has an authentic focus (outside ‘customer’). Developing the KWL table as a class on the IWB, demonstrates the ‘relate’ component of engagement theory as the class worked as a collaborative team (rather than alone), verbalising their ideas in a process of collaboration. The KWL chart created was a product of everyone’s contributions and the process of creation promoted human interaction, facilitated by the technology and myself as the teacher, and such interaction is a key feature of engagement theory.

I also found that providing the students with the opportunity to interact with the technology (by writing their contributions on the flipchart), really focused their attention on the task at hand and motivated them to participate in the discussion as they were all keen to use the IWB pens. According to Dale’s Cone, learning experiences are most effective when students are directly engaged in ‘hands-on’ experiences (Abilene Christian University Adams Center for Teaching Excellence, 2000). By providing the opportunity for students to write their ideas on the IWB, the learning experience became an active process.

Furthermore, I recognise that students have varied learning styles/ preferences, be it; active/ reflective, visual/ verbal, sensing/ intuitive, sequential/ global (Felder, 1988). The inclusion of visuals on the PowerPoint presentation and YouTube video (for visual learners), my verbalising the information (for verbal learners), the students listening to the YouTube music video (for verbal or auditory learners), the students writing on the IWB (for active or kinaesthetic learners) and the students copying information into their books and reflecting on the ideas of others (for reflective learners) accommodated the varied learning styles in the classroom.

Much to my delight, the entire class was had a positive response to the YouTube video I played at the end of the presentation. In fact, we watched it three times! Perhaps it was the novelty of watching a video and listening to the musical ‘rap.’ Nonetheless, the entire class was enthusiastic about an educational video, were excited about the new unit, and our Friday afternoon lesson ended on a positive note.

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