unit plan link
Design Rationale Link
the links above are the unit plan and design rationale for my assessment task 3
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Unit Plan
Unit Plan Link
I recommend downloading the file because on google docs it is formatted wrong
I recommend downloading the file because on google docs it is formatted wrong
Design Rationale
DESIGN RATIONALE
I have chosen to include the learning objects, Earth rotation: Day and Night, Travel Back in Time: Time Map and the Green Machines series in my unit plan because these learning objects explain the content and engage students in the topic being covered much more effectively than a diagram or reading in a text book. They allow the students to learn, in a hands-on way, things that would have been otherwise impossible without the use of ICT’s, for example, year 8 students would not have been able to design, build and trial greener cars in a real life situation. It is for that reason that I embedded these ICT’s in my unit plan. The Learning objects that I embedded in my unit plan are available on the learning federation website and are available for all members to use
Earth Rotation: Day and Night is an engaging cartoon explanation of the way the Earth’s rotation effects day and night. It uses simple wording and interactive questions to aid in the students’ learning. This is best shown with an ICT because although it can be demonstrated with physical materials (globe, light source, etc) it is a more engaging and interactive method to use ICT’s and interests the group of learners more.
Travel Back in Time: time Map is relatively short and interactive and allows the learners to explore the changing position of the continents over a vast period of years. This is not possible in a classroom without ICT’s (video, learning object etc) because we simply do not have the evidence (photos, drawings etc) to show students what it was like 45 million years ago.
The Green Machine series of learning objects allows students to design, build and trial different types of cars to comply with given ‘green’ standards. This is simply not possible in a real life situation due to costs and safety issues.
I also incorporated the use of laptops and various websites in the research phase of this unit. A list of suitable scientific websites is included with the task sheets for the assignment and one of these websites are links to websites that offer an “ask a scientist” page that allows students to communicate with professionals in the field of science.
I also incorporated blooms taxonomy into my unit design, getting students to move from lower order thinking (remembering order of planets, and definitions) to higher order thinking (creating their own mnemonic devices, forming an informed opinion about the classification of Pluto and explaining why). I accommodated for multiple intelligences in the unit design by allowing for a wide range of activities and resources that catered for the multiple intelligences within the class (wide range of hard copy and web resources for EEI, active activities, partner and group activities, individual work, ICT’s, written and oral instructions, videos etc).
learning federation website
ask a scientist page
I have chosen to include the learning objects, Earth rotation: Day and Night, Travel Back in Time: Time Map and the Green Machines series in my unit plan because these learning objects explain the content and engage students in the topic being covered much more effectively than a diagram or reading in a text book. They allow the students to learn, in a hands-on way, things that would have been otherwise impossible without the use of ICT’s, for example, year 8 students would not have been able to design, build and trial greener cars in a real life situation. It is for that reason that I embedded these ICT’s in my unit plan. The Learning objects that I embedded in my unit plan are available on the learning federation website and are available for all members to use
Earth Rotation: Day and Night is an engaging cartoon explanation of the way the Earth’s rotation effects day and night. It uses simple wording and interactive questions to aid in the students’ learning. This is best shown with an ICT because although it can be demonstrated with physical materials (globe, light source, etc) it is a more engaging and interactive method to use ICT’s and interests the group of learners more.
Travel Back in Time: time Map is relatively short and interactive and allows the learners to explore the changing position of the continents over a vast period of years. This is not possible in a classroom without ICT’s (video, learning object etc) because we simply do not have the evidence (photos, drawings etc) to show students what it was like 45 million years ago.
The Green Machine series of learning objects allows students to design, build and trial different types of cars to comply with given ‘green’ standards. This is simply not possible in a real life situation due to costs and safety issues.
I also incorporated the use of laptops and various websites in the research phase of this unit. A list of suitable scientific websites is included with the task sheets for the assignment and one of these websites are links to websites that offer an “ask a scientist” page that allows students to communicate with professionals in the field of science.
I also incorporated blooms taxonomy into my unit design, getting students to move from lower order thinking (remembering order of planets, and definitions) to higher order thinking (creating their own mnemonic devices, forming an informed opinion about the classification of Pluto and explaining why). I accommodated for multiple intelligences in the unit design by allowing for a wide range of activities and resources that catered for the multiple intelligences within the class (wide range of hard copy and web resources for EEI, active activities, partner and group activities, individual work, ICT’s, written and oral instructions, videos etc).
learning federation website
ask a scientist page
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Assessment Task Two - Reflective Blog
Reflective Blog
This is a reflective synopsis on what I have learnt about ICT’s in the learning environment, their importance in contemporary classrooms, their safe and ethical use and the responsibilities and needs of the learners and learning manager who use ICT’s. In the following paragraphs I will discuss the required knowledge of both learner and learning manager and the required actions that supplement these knowledge requirements.
Students throughout the last few decades have become more and more immersed in ICT’s and technology, both in the learning environment and their day to day life. Technology today is developing at a more rapid pace than ever resulting in the learners of today’s ‘information society’ somewhat depending on some form of ICT to carry out their daily lives. It is for this reason that it is essential for learning managers and learners alike to embrace ICT’s in classrooms, understand how to use ICT in a positive educational manner and explore the huge, ever expanding, information hub that is the internet and ICT’s, which are so vastly different to the technologies of a few decades ago.
What the Learning Manager needs to know
ICT’s have virtually endless possibilities and variations, it is for this reason very important that the learning manager maintain and up to date knowledge of a wide range of educational ICT’s and how to best use them in the classroom environment. It is the responsibilities of the learning manager to take a proactive stance towards investigating educational ICT’s and to continually monitor new digital resources and ways to effectively use for students learning. They need to know what is out there and how to use it, which is a daunting task when you take into consideration the huge numbers of new educational ICT’s that are created every single day. Learning managers should know their students and make judgements on appropriate times for the learners to choose their own ICT’s and to take (learning manager guided) direction of their own learning. It is also important for the learning manager to be able to evaluate the success of the implementation of the ICT and to take appropriate steps to either continue use of the specific ICT strategy or to redesign the learning plan. The learning manager must also know the legal, safety and ethical information behind working in an online communication environment. They must remain current with information to keep the children, and the hardware ICT’s that they use safe from harmful external sources. Along with knowing the advantages of particular ICT’s it is important that the learning manager be aware of the disadvantages of each ICT and how to use them so that the advantages to learning outweigh the disadvantages. Contingency plans must also be made for the sometimes inevitable failure of technology.
What the Learning Manager Needs to Do
All of the ICT knowledge that the learning manager must acquire is meaningless without it being used. It is not enough for learning managers to simply know about ICT’s, they must also have the ability and skills to predict what learning situation each ICT would work best in, identify which students would benefit from the use of said ICT (including individuals, small groups, whole classes or even larger cohorts) and must be able to purposely design and explicitly explain the expected use of ICT’s and efficiently implement this learning design to incorporate the ICT in the learning of the class. To sum it up, learning managers must be able to embed the most suitable digital resource into their pedagogical design and structure lessons around ICT’s so that their use is safer and more easily functioning and therefore more conducive to learning. A learning manager must see themselves as a learner and be willing to accept the expertise of others (professionals and students) to maximise the benefit to all learners, the learning manager included. The learning manager must actively seek a way to become confident with the tools that they will be using within the learning environment, whether it is to practise using the tool or to seek help from someone else. A learning manager cannot expect to teach learners about the safe and ethical use of a digital technology if they know little to nothing about it themselves or have low confidence with the technology. Learning managers also needs to build interactivity within the use of tools for example encourage the use of peer discussion and feed back within a wiki. And to allow guided independence in letting the students sometimes pick their own specific ICT, for example telling the student that they need a digital visual to go along with a speech but the specific digital tool they pick is up to them (PowerPoint, a video, a YouTube link, a slideshow etc). It is crucial for learning managers to be able to perform these tasks in order for a smooth integration of ICT’s in classroom learning.
What the Learners Need to Know
21st century learners need to know and understand that ICT’s are something that will continually change and that they as learners will need to continue to be adaptable. Without this adaptability, the students run a very serious risk of being swept away by the proverbial ‘tidal wave’ that is the rapid change in digital technologies. Not being aware of current technologies decreases the opportunities available to the student and is therefore detrimental to their learning. It is also required that the learners know that they are expected to engage in ICT’s purposefully and in a safe and responsible manner. Without purpose and responsibility, ICT use becomes a big distraction to learning very quickly. When working in an online environment students need to be aware of the ‘netiquette’ or rules to follow , simple things like not typing in capitals unless they intend to come across as having an ALL CAPS RAGE! and yelling at the reader. Safety is a major component of working with ICT’s and must be addressed before the students even turn on their selected digital device. Most schools nowadays run off a system that can block undesirable or unsafe material from reaching learners, but it is important to teach learners how to be safe on their own, because it is more than likely that their home computers no not have this blocking network. Students will come across mountains of information in an online environment and as anyone can upload information, students need to be taught to filter out credible information and to disregard all of the online ‘junk’. Strategies such as using Google Scholar and journal databases and using school and university online libraries are all effective ways of ensuring that students can access scholarly, credible, correct information. The legal issues of being online are also something that must be explained, in detail to the students before the first use of ICT’s in a classroom. Everything that is not of their own creation (pictures they have taken, things they have written etc) is the property of the person that originally posted them online. Granted it may sometimes be virtually impossible to find the original poster of a picture, but students must be taught to correctly reference where they did find it. This will ensure a purposeful, smooth running, safe and legal use of ICT’s.
What the Learner Needs to Do
When using ICT’s the learner is expected to participate responsibly in activities, this will ensure further use of ICT’s within the classroom. The learner is also expected to collaborate with others using ICT’s to construct knowledge. Digital tools are just that, tools. They do not give you the knowledge; they simply provide the information for learners to take in and perceive to construct their own knowledge. When provided with a choice of which specific digital tool to use, learners are expected to choose thoughtfully and with purpose applicable ICT’s that they feel will best aid their learning or the learning outcome of the audience. It is the responsibility of any learner capable of understanding the legal guidelines and restrictions to follow these in an ethical and just manner to ensure safe and continues use of ICT’s.
There might seem that there is a lot for learning managers and learners to know and do when using digital technologies, but it really comes down to being safe, being ethical and following legal guidelines, having a purpose to use ICT’s and to have sufficient knowledge and confidence with a wide range of ICT’s to allow you (learner and learning manager alike) to make an informed decision about which specific digital tool will best benefit the task at hand. A brief overview of some of the infinite numbers of digital tools is available here 1-4 Technologies
I perceive my classroom in the future to be ICT savvy and connected so that I can provide my students with the best opportunities to extend their learning and construct knowledge and higher-order thinking through the use of digital tools. As a pre-service learning manager I will endeavour to fulfil all of these knowledge and action categories that are required of me to effectively use ICT’s to benefit my students learning journeys. I will strive towards this by remaining proactive with research towards educational ICT’s and instructional design to ensure that my future learners have the best chance and are well equipped for the ever increasingly ICT based culture of today.
Group 1-4 Technologies
Group 1:
Blogs, Wikis and Websites.
My exploration for all three of these tool was to create one of each and to view other students' blogs, wikis and websites. I have chosen to PMI analyse wikis.
Plus
Readily accessible to all
Can create private groups for members only (good for schools)
Editable by all members
all versions saved in history (in case a mistake is made)
can ask questions of others and answer said questions
Minus
can accidentally delete the work of others (although this can be retrieved)
can get confusing with who wrote what (different coloured font is usually used to combat this)
can be tricky to use for first time users
Interesting
I find the fact that all wiki members can edit the pages interesting because I have never come across something like that in my educational studies. Most educational tools have fact and can only be commented on to preserve the integrity of the original work. I like the fact that wikis are more like giant discussion boards rather than pages that tell 'fact'.
I feel that I would definitely use wikis in my experience as a Learning Manager and feel that they would be very effective if used in the right context.
A possible future use in my classroom: when completing EEI assignments in science, students will have access to a specifically set up wiki with an appropriate scaffold (thinking hats, PMI, etc) to direct their thinking and to allow them to discuss their queries and findings with one another.
Group 2:
Digital Images
Podcasts
Digital Video
I have had previous experience with all of these tools before with both images and video being used in my own high school assessments. I have never used podcasts in an educational context although I can certainly see their positive possible uses.
Image exploration: I have had alot of previous experience with image manipulation and upload, here are a couple pictures that I edited around 3 years ago: (pictures of myself and my best friend so no copyright on them)
Digital Images PMI:
Plus:
Easily manipulated
Easily accessed (google images)
Referencing available
Can be embedded into virtually any type of webpage
Can be used for visual learners in a classroom
Minus
hard to control: once it is on the internet it is likely to be used without referencing as many people on the internet do not understand the legalities of other peoples intellectual property. (this is why teaching ethical and legal online skills is important in schools)
Interesting:
there is an image for nearly anything anyone could ever think of on the internet. The sheer vastness of the information available is astonishing to me.
A Future use in my classroom: I will expect students to use images in some of their assignments and will need to teach them how to find appropriate images and how to reference them correctly.
Group 3:
PowerPoint
Prezi
Glogster
I, like many students my age, have been using PowerPoint for many years in my education. I feel that I have an above average grasp of the abilities and constraints of PowerPoint. I would like to add that myself and Marc Sains completed a PMI activity on skype and would like to link it here because I can't upload a PowerPoint directly to blogger.
PMI - Skype
PowerPoint future classroom use: nearly all classrooms use PowerPoint nowadays, I will endeavor to provide my students with the correct conventions for using PowerPoint and to teach them how to use PowerPoint effectively. I will also provide alternatives to PowerPoint as it can be overused in today's classrooms.
Group 4 - animation and simulations:
In this class I have enjoyed exploring Voki's. Although I do find them annoying because i cannot stand the computer generated voice that they have. Although using a voice recording of my own voice would solve this problem and still interest students in the talking monster/baby/skeleton etc on the page.
Voki PMI:
Plus:
Interesting
Eye Catching
would be useful for students that had difficulties reading text
Minus:
annoying staggered computer voice
could be distracting in the long run for students (this was shown in a tutorial where a class member kept pressing the button to hear it speak)
Interesting:
can record own voice
can embed in any website
is free
Future Classroom use: to put on the wiki main page when using as a class. also to suggest a voki could be used on the students' personal wikis or blogs, to add interest to the page
My Voki for exploration purposes:
Blogs, Wikis and Websites.
My exploration for all three of these tool was to create one of each and to view other students' blogs, wikis and websites. I have chosen to PMI analyse wikis.
Plus
Readily accessible to all
Can create private groups for members only (good for schools)
Editable by all members
all versions saved in history (in case a mistake is made)
can ask questions of others and answer said questions
Minus
can accidentally delete the work of others (although this can be retrieved)
can get confusing with who wrote what (different coloured font is usually used to combat this)
can be tricky to use for first time users
Interesting
I find the fact that all wiki members can edit the pages interesting because I have never come across something like that in my educational studies. Most educational tools have fact and can only be commented on to preserve the integrity of the original work. I like the fact that wikis are more like giant discussion boards rather than pages that tell 'fact'.
I feel that I would definitely use wikis in my experience as a Learning Manager and feel that they would be very effective if used in the right context.
A possible future use in my classroom: when completing EEI assignments in science, students will have access to a specifically set up wiki with an appropriate scaffold (thinking hats, PMI, etc) to direct their thinking and to allow them to discuss their queries and findings with one another.
Group 2:
Digital Images
Podcasts
Digital Video
I have had previous experience with all of these tools before with both images and video being used in my own high school assessments. I have never used podcasts in an educational context although I can certainly see their positive possible uses.
Image exploration: I have had alot of previous experience with image manipulation and upload, here are a couple pictures that I edited around 3 years ago: (pictures of myself and my best friend so no copyright on them)
Plus:
Easily manipulated
Easily accessed (google images)
Referencing available
Can be embedded into virtually any type of webpage
Can be used for visual learners in a classroom
Minus
hard to control: once it is on the internet it is likely to be used without referencing as many people on the internet do not understand the legalities of other peoples intellectual property. (this is why teaching ethical and legal online skills is important in schools)
Interesting:
there is an image for nearly anything anyone could ever think of on the internet. The sheer vastness of the information available is astonishing to me.
A Future use in my classroom: I will expect students to use images in some of their assignments and will need to teach them how to find appropriate images and how to reference them correctly.
Group 3:
PowerPoint
Prezi
Glogster
I, like many students my age, have been using PowerPoint for many years in my education. I feel that I have an above average grasp of the abilities and constraints of PowerPoint. I would like to add that myself and Marc Sains completed a PMI activity on skype and would like to link it here because I can't upload a PowerPoint directly to blogger.
PMI - Skype
PowerPoint future classroom use: nearly all classrooms use PowerPoint nowadays, I will endeavor to provide my students with the correct conventions for using PowerPoint and to teach them how to use PowerPoint effectively. I will also provide alternatives to PowerPoint as it can be overused in today's classrooms.
Group 4 - animation and simulations:
In this class I have enjoyed exploring Voki's. Although I do find them annoying because i cannot stand the computer generated voice that they have. Although using a voice recording of my own voice would solve this problem and still interest students in the talking monster/baby/skeleton etc on the page.
Voki PMI:
Plus:
Interesting
Eye Catching
would be useful for students that had difficulties reading text
Minus:
annoying staggered computer voice
could be distracting in the long run for students (this was shown in a tutorial where a class member kept pressing the button to hear it speak)
Interesting:
can record own voice
can embed in any website
is free
Future Classroom use: to put on the wiki main page when using as a class. also to suggest a voki could be used on the students' personal wikis or blogs, to add interest to the page
My Voki for exploration purposes:
Mobile Phones Wiki
I found this activity to be very interesting, as I was able to see my peers views on mobile phones in the classroom, express my own views and also to explore my first professional encounter with DeBono's thinking hats.
I found myself agreeing with most of the discussion that was already presented by my peers, but having strong opinions myself, found things that I could add to show my view on the topic.
I believe the wiki was the most appropriate ICT tool for this activity because it allowed free thinking and everyone to have a chance to express themselves within the document/discussion as a whole, rather than as a comment to someone else's thinking.
The use of the thinking hat's scaffold, to me was very useful as it directed my thinking and gave me a starting point. It also helped me to organize my opinions on the topic in an orderly and logical manner.
Overall I feel that this activity was effective and insightful
Monday, July 18, 2011
Reflection Week One - learning theories wiki
Well what to write... I have found this task somewhat more tedious and frustrating then I initially thought it would be. I sat thinking to myself 'pfft I have a blog (or two) and find it easy to sit and write pages upon pages about what I'm thinking and what I'm doing (although I'm sure its boring as all heck and noone really reads it anyway) but now faced with using a blog as an educational tool, I find myself sitting here dumbfounded with no idea of what to write. Perhaps it is because I'm a sucker for perfection and I'm not entirely sure what I'm meant to do so I'm having difficulty doing something that might be wrong. I read back over what I've written and I have already started to waffle and over wordy and confusing, great work Clare, where are all the witty anecdotes that sum up what you are trying to say succinctly and humorously? I haven't even started writing about the course or wiki's or learning theories yet....
So this week (well week one) we had to read information on a section of learning theories and create a PMI wiki about what we read. I for one find wiki editing to be annoying, as I personally prefer blogs and the editing options available to me on them. Most likely because I am used to blogs and have no previous experience with wikis's, but I'll learn eventually.
I surprised myself when I actually found the wiki activities helped me learn a lot about the learning theories in a relatively short amount of time ( bar that of reading my text which was tedious). The PMI strategy made me think about what my article actually had to say and made me use my brain more which lead (hopefully) to a higher order thinking. It also helped me see what my peers were gaining from the activity and what they find interesting.
I found this activity to be beneficial to my learning and in a classroom environment I think wiki;s could, if utilized correctly add another dimension to learning that would greatly aid both students and learning managers.
Well that's all folks, I'm not entirely sure that this answers the questions I was meant to but meh, I tried.
Feedback is welcome! I need to know if I'm on the right track.
signing off as a more than slightly confused,
Clare
So this week (well week one) we had to read information on a section of learning theories and create a PMI wiki about what we read. I for one find wiki editing to be annoying, as I personally prefer blogs and the editing options available to me on them. Most likely because I am used to blogs and have no previous experience with wikis's, but I'll learn eventually.
I surprised myself when I actually found the wiki activities helped me learn a lot about the learning theories in a relatively short amount of time ( bar that of reading my text which was tedious). The PMI strategy made me think about what my article actually had to say and made me use my brain more which lead (hopefully) to a higher order thinking. It also helped me see what my peers were gaining from the activity and what they find interesting.
I found this activity to be beneficial to my learning and in a classroom environment I think wiki;s could, if utilized correctly add another dimension to learning that would greatly aid both students and learning managers.
Well that's all folks, I'm not entirely sure that this answers the questions I was meant to but meh, I tried.
Feedback is welcome! I need to know if I'm on the right track.
signing off as a more than slightly confused,
Clare
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