Reflective Synopsis

What is managing eLearning?

E-learning refers to the use of information and communication technology (ICTs) in the delivery of education and training (EDNA, 2010). In accordance to Queensland Studies Authority (QSA, 2007) ICTs include the hardware, software, peripheral devices and digital systems that enable data and information to be managed, stored, processed and communicated (QSA, 2007). ICTs incorporate a number of multimedia devices, examples of these explored throughout this course include blogs, wikis, PowerPoint’s, images, podcasts and digital videos.

Managing eLearning provided me with the understandings needed in order to use these technologies in an appropriate and effective manner. It became apparent that the pedagogy and theoretical underpinnings became the central focus point of this course in order to recognise the ways of working a teacher needs in order to create a classroom that breaks down barriers, allows students to recognize and work with tools needed to effectively participate within the 21^st century and gain the skills and capabilities the curriculum considers as necessary attributes of a lifelong learner.

The Queensland Studies Authority (QSA, 2007) recognizes the inclusion of Information, Communication and Technologies (ICTs) as a cross curriculum priority. Therefore, does not view the embedding of ICTs as a stand along key learning focus. It however, should be viewed as an integral part of each key learning area; to support thinking, learning, collaboration and communication. A way of which enhances and enriches a students learning journey.

Managing eLearning ensures to develop the knowledge and underpinnings required for the effective implementation and incorporation of ICTs within the learning site. The knowledge gained from this course allows one to identify different ICT tools and recognize the importance and effectiveness it has in order to enrich students learning; whether it be to inquire, develop new understandings, transform information, construct new knowledge for a specific purpose or context (QSA, 2007).

My Context:

Thus far my professional learning has allowed me to observe and work with students within the lower primary grades. Currently, my embedded professional learning is with a grade one class.

It is assumed that children of the 21^st century potentially already have some fundamental skills necessary to use ICTs. Information, communication technologies can be considered as types of literacy texts as they are tools used to convey and understanding meaning (Winch 2001).

Students bring with them their own attitudes, values and beliefs. These influences contribute to the types of texts they will engage in prior to formal learning. Primary discourse (Gee, 1991) is those that students acquire prior to formal education. The primary discourses that students engage in with the home will depend on the culture.

Opportunities and limitations:

Barriers:

Therefore, it is difficult to determine what common knowledge students have within this context. Hence, opportunities need to be provided for students to experiment and inquire ICTs. For instance, students need to be explicit scaffolded and modeled how to use and how to interpret ICTs. This could be seen as a limitation or set barriers to the intended learning outcome focused for a particular learning experiences. The focus therefore, can be seen to be transferred from the initial learning to how to use the tool. This process can be seen as very time consuming and be detrimental to the focus learning. Overcoming of such limitations may be that the ICT is incorporated in learning experiences where by the Learning Manager models the use of the tool. Due to the age of the students in relation to my context it may be appropriate to only expose students to one element of the tool at a time, until the student is aware of the fundamental processes involve. Thus, providing opportunity to extend the complexity and potential the tool has within the learning context.

An example of a tool having barriers to learning can be seen in the YouTube clip where students are required to demonstrate their knowledge gained through the creation of a YouTube clip. This could be considered as too complex for students who have little knowledge on the functions of using ICTs in this instance it could be digital cameras, video cameras etc. The technology is too complex therefore several opportunities for scaffolding of the tool is needed to be done etc. This is obviously a generalised view and assumption of what the students capabilities are in this context. However, is relevant and poses barriers to effective learning.

Opportunities:

Sockett (1 987 as sited in Turner-Bisset, 2001, p. 17) claimed that the essential feature of teaching is moral. There is a socio-moral quality to teaching. I believe that by scaffolding the appropriate use and purposes for ICTs students are able to recognise their personal responsibility to participate with and apply these tools in an appropriate manner. Without opportunities for students to be exposed to these tools and explicitly shown and modelled the way in which it needs to be used students may then not hold the necessary knowledge and understandings associated with ethical practices and behaviours. An example of students not understanding the appropriate use and behaviours of ICTs is referred to as "Cyberbullying". This term is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones (Stop cyberbullying, n.a.). These students have obviously not been explicitly taught or scaffolded the appropriate means, language and purposes for specific ICT tools. Therefore, the use of ICTs within learning provides opportunity for these behaviours to be scaffolded and modelled for students.

Another opportunity that the implementation of ICTs has is the possibility to extend learning beyond the classroom. Hargreaves (1998, p. 20) states that in the knowledge society, schools will need to manage many more partnerships – with the world of work, with many other agencies. ICTs have the ability to open learning to create new partnerships. Learning is now not limited to be confined between four walls. Learning can now be extended to the local community, nationally and globally. ICTs allow for students to connect to the world and furthermore, provide a place for where students are able to find out answers to questions posed. This is based on the theory of connectivism. Siemens (2005) states "Learning (defined as actionable knowledge) can reside outside of ourselves (within an organization or a database), is focused on connecting specialized information sets, and the connections that enable us to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing." This is the central understanding of what we referred to as connectivism.

It is important to identify what the main purpose the ICT holds to enhance learning. The focus of learning should never be about being an ‘expert’ of ICTs – that is know everything about the functions and elements of the tool – however the focus should always be how the tool is used to better understanding the knowledge or how to better communicate the knowledge.

Tools:

From the tools explored and engaged in within this course, I have decided to select four tools in which I believe are purposeful to the learning in my context. These tools include YouTube, Voki, Goggle Earth & Maps as well as images.

Tool One: YouTube

Tool Two: Voki

Tool three: Google

Tool Four: Images

Click here to view comments made to other peer’s blog postings in regards to the tools explored within this course. These comments extend and refine our knowledge in regards to the effectiveness and possibilities some of these tools pose. Collaboratively we as peers have been able to develop a much more in depth understanding about the potential these tools have within the context of learning.

Managing eLearning exposed me to an array of different tools freely available and allowed me opportunity to explore with and discover the potential use it had within the context of learning. Overall, I believe this course allowed me to see the purpose of effective implementations of ICTs in two aspects; one that when implemented effectively it has the potential to enhance students learning –be that for instance by connecting to the wider community, engaging different learning styles or intelligences - and two by holding a strong priority on ICTs within the curriculum it allows students to gain the skills and capabilities the curriculum sets out to achieve as well as develop the attributes seen to be needed to become a lifelong learner.

Comments

These are the links to comments that I have posted to peers blog postings.
Garry - extranormal
Tasha- Youtube
Emma V - google

Links of comments made to my blog postings displaying personal views and contributing to collaborative understandings of a particular tool.

Google

YouTube

Getting ride of the walls with google

We explore the program available from Google that allows us to view the world in different ways.
Google allows you to look at maps and satellite images of most places across the world. Even more amazing is the ability to roam the streets of different cities and towns across the world.

What an amazing experience! It's endless to think about the possibilities that this could bring to one's learning.

For instance we looked at creating a tour guide for a sister/brother school from a different country. We looked at compiling directions, images and other specifics such as tourist attractions; opening times, costing etc.

Furthermore, this allows an opportunity for students to compare the differences in the two countries or even more relevant to the students, the differences between both towns. Students could look at an array of different aspects such as political, environmental, social, economic, and ethical. This makes for an exciting and relevant SOSE unit. Students take ownership of their learning which furthermore, contributes to motivation and interest. And better yet students become experts of the topic they wish to focus on.

At present my focus class is within the mist of a unit that focuses on Bundaberg's toursit attrations. Within the middle of the unit a excursion was planned for students to have a bus trip visiting some of the major tourist sites. However, funding for this excursion was not possible hence the excursion was canned. My observations suggest that teachers attitude to the unit was that it was no longer relevant to teach the unit. I was able to see how ICTs could be easily introduce to assist withi this unit. I believe if the teachers were confident enough in using ICTs this unit could have even been MORE effective then the propsed excursion. (Not to say the exursion wouldn,t contribute to meaningful learning or gained knowledge)

Vokis

Get a Voki now!



The tool I have explored is referred to as a Voki. This tool holds a valuable place within learning. The classroom is made up of many different students, each hold their own attitudes, values and beliefs. Furthermore, each student brings something different to learning; they all have different needs. Needs range from social/emotional to specific needs due to a disability of some sort.

Vokis allow the learning manager to modify the learning of a particular focus for students.It is necessary to keep in mind that the curriculum should never be altered to suit the students needs and capabilities; it should be modified. Vokis can be introduced in conjunction with a learning contract where students can work at their own pace. Furthermore, Vokis can be altered to suit students personal interests. For instance students with Asperger's where a common symptom is a deep interest in a particular topic, i.e., star wars.

This tool can be seen to be a valuable tool for independent work (group or individual) and requires low teacher responsibility, thus allows the teacher to work one on one with students whom may need further assistance. This tool can be used amongst all key learning areas and is valuable to distance learning or for instance moodle/blackboard (used within this course)

Vokis can be seen as very inclusive, catering to different learning styles, intelligences and diverse needs.

Images

Copyright images ensure that you as a Learning Manager are abiding by appropriate practices. It is furthermore, important for students to recognise the importance and consequences of the ethics and responsibilities needed when using other sources including that of, still or moving images and audio (in particular when creating document for shared viewing).

In the classroom context however, images can be used for an array of different purposes.

In the year one class I have been placed in this year, images have been used in order to capture students’ imagination in order to encourage them to write. Students within this classroom find it difficult to write recounts about their weekend or what they did on the holidays. These topics are relevant to the students however, some students DON'T do anything on their weekends, or if some did do something they don't find the relevance in having to write about it for no one but the teacher to read it.

By providing students with an image to capture their imagination students are able to find a purpose and interest in writing. Furthermore, by having an opportunity at the end of the lesson to share and compare amongst students what they have written provides for enhance learning.

In addition, images in the classroom can be seen to require students to work using higher level thinking. For instance, in a unit titled 'Feeling safe, being safe' the year ones are require to look at images that display a child in potentially dangerous situations, i.e., walking on railway tracks; crossing a busy road, etc. Students are then required to identify the danger, come up with possible solutions to solve the problem and finally create a rule to implement to prevent the danger from reoccurring.

These are just two examples purposeful to my context in which images can be used to enhance learning.

Another avenue in which images can be used to support learning is in regards to digital cameras. These ICTs are a perfect example of allowing students to take ownership of their own learning. This increases student’s motivation and interest. An example of using digital cameras within the context of learning for instance may be in the introduction to a new science unit focusing on food webs. Students take photos of animal interaction during a schoolyard safari. After these photos are taken, they then can compare different animal relationships and their food sources. This activity allows opportunities for comparison and classifying which focuses on extending and refining knowledge. Furthermore the advantages of documenting the schoolyard safari in this manner allows for the students who were absent to fill in the learning that they had missed without trying to 'catch up'. (Used as almost in an abstract manner).


Limitations may include - suitability of images in relation to students social/emotion needs and age, extensive scaffolding and teacher modelling when using digital cameras, such as functions of a digital camera and the process invovled in uploading, resizing etc depending on what use.