A Reflective Synopsis on eLearning

I have put together a reflective synopsis on eLearning and in particular the correlation of popular learning theory and four popular digital technologies (including: wikis, blogs, learning objects & PowerPoint Presentations).

Please feel free to have a read. It can be assessed by clicking here.

Google Earth & Google Maps

Google Earth is a program which can be used to explore images of the earth from a birds eye view. Sites can sometimes also be viewed at a closer range in a photograph etc. Some sites can also be viewed at a different point in time. Below is a picture of the Fitzroy River in September 2003, followed by one at the same location in December 2004.






























Google Maps is a program which can be used to view maps of the world online. Below is an image of the Fitzroy River as a map (outlining street names etc).




View Larger Map

There are many educational projects which explore interesting aspects Google Earth and Maps in different ways at the Google Earth Outreach Showcase website.

Here is a project that I found through exploration of the website, which explores evidence of the impact of global warming on the earth.


There are lots of pedagogical uses for Google Earth & Google Maps. Students can search for an image of their local river, their city or even their neighbourhood. This can help them to relate their learning to the real world, it is thereby another great tool for constructivism.

Students can learn about SOSE and many more subjects, by exploring these images of their world. They can make inferences about the features of the environment and the impact upon the people and wildlife of the area. They can look at the impact of oil spills. They could undertake a role as city council and look at maps to plan where they would place a sewage plant or the new town library.

It is really up to the learning manager to consider where Google Earth & Google Maps may be of use to them within their curriclum. Above all other advatages, when students use these programs, they are connecting their learned knowledge with real world imagery to help ground the "facts" in reality and gain a deeper understanding.

Online Quizzes

I just finished creation a quiz on "The Science of Water" at quizilla.com. I am having a bit of trouble with the link for reasons I am not yet sure of but if you can, please take a look. The password for the quiz is water.

Learning Objects

A learning object is an interactive online tool which can be used to teach students about a particular subject. Some learning objects can also be downloaded.

There are many interesting and useful learning objects out there but it is important to make sure that any objects used are used with a clear learning purpose in mind. Students should not simply be wasting time by using them aimlessly.

I feel that often learning objects are most useful in extending and refining knowledge after the basis of a topic has already been established and understood.

Many learning objects are great tools in cognitivism,(in the way that they require students to organise information), behaviourism (as students are rewarded for correct answers) and sometimes constructivism (when the learning object places students in a demonstrative "real-world" scenario).

You Tube

Below is a video I found on YouTube about the Water Cycle. It has a catchy song and is, I feel, an excellent tool for engaging students and to assist in extending and refining their content knowledge.

Digital Video

Below is a video I have made using Windows Live MovieMaker.

The images were all found through creativecommons.org. The songs used are: Raindrops by Basement Jaxx, Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by Burt Bacharach & Butterfly Wings by Owl City.

This video was created for independent use as a stimulus for educational purposes. I would consider using it as a "hook" to get students interesting in and thinking about water at the beginning of a unit about water.



Digital videos could be used for a variety of pedogogical purposes in the classroom for example: as a stimulus for thought, for students to analyse advertisements, as a research tool, to record interviews, presenting school news, demonstrating knowledge about different cultures, student reflection, explaining concepts or activities in maths, science, art etc.

Podcasts

Image courtesy of Flickr


A podcast is a sound file which can be streamed or downloaded from an online source and contain useful or entertaining information. You can subscribe to a series of podcasts. You can also record and upload your own podcasts for others to download.

Podcasting can be a useful tool for learning. There are many valuable podcasts available on the web which can be downloaded using iTunes or a similar program, or sometimes assessed directly from the website. Here is an example of a podcast I found at the ABC3 website, which is an interview of the famous children's author Graeme Base.

I also found two other podcasts which could be useful for educational purposes:

SBS's Insight and
ABC's EdPod

Resources such as this can assist students in their own research and learning and are again a useful tool in engagement. It caters directly to the verbal and/or musical learners in a class.

Students can also create their own podcasts to present their work or demonstrate the information they have learnt. For example: a Year 3 student could record a podcast of themselves describing and explaining a picture they have drawn of their own invention. This podcast could be uploaded alongside a picture of their drawing on a class website.

Images Online

Flickr is online website which allows its users to upload images onto the internet either privately or publicly. Below is a link to view one of the images I uploaded within my Flickr account.

A sleeping student

I found this image through creativecommons.org, where I was able to search for images suitable for commercial use.

Images (as with all efficient multimedia), are of great use in engaging students, and student engagement goes hand in hand with effective learning.

PowerPoint Presentations

Uses of Powerpoint:

PowerPoint presentations can be used by students to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of content, and to practise digital skills.

PowerPoint presentations can be used within an oral presentation to help students to engage their audience and to outline key points which they themselves, can then elaborate on verbally.

PowerPoints can also be interactive in nature, allowing its participates to move through the slides at their own choice of direction. The use of multiple pathways in a PowerPoint means that multiple choice quizzes can also be set up within the presentation.

By duplicating a number of slides, then slightly altering one after another, a digital animation can be constructed by students.

Pedagogical Advantages:

PowerPoint Presentations are great for the more visual and auditory learners. They are also far more engaging to an audience. If a student can become emotional engaged in content (which can often be evoked by powerful images) they are more likely to remember what they are learning.

Websites

I have made a free website at weebly.com. It can be viewed by clicking here.

Creating a website could be used to the support the learning of students in many ways.



A classroom website could..

• Include links to websites which relate to curriculum content.
  
• provide information, task outlines, homework and other resources to assist student learning.
  
• Show and tell what students are learning and achieving in school.
  
• Connect students with their teacher, parents, other students in their class and around the world.
  
• ..and so much more. (KinderArt 2006)
  

Here are a few good examples of classroom websites which I have found for inspiration:

Mrs. Pearce's Classroom Website

School Days Top Classroom Websites List

Wikis

A wiki is an online space where any user can edit, modify, add and remove information. The most famous example of this is Wikipedia.

It is different from a blog in several ways:

• It is not soley controlled by one person.
  
• It is not composed of postings but pages.
  
• There is no chronological order to wikipages as there is to blog postings.
  

Please look at this website for further clarification on the differences between the two: CoverStations. The videos on the website are particularly useful.

In the learning context, wikis can be used in so many ways. Some examples include:

• student groupwork organisation (communication, to do lists, resources lists & planning)
  
• creating an online group texbook with videos, audio and pictures if so desired.
  
• presenting information of group projects.
  
• and so much more...
  

Through the use of wikis, students can work together and practise being editors, publishers and evaulators of their own work.

For some wonderful ideas on how wikis can be useful in the classroom please look at this website: SmartTeaching.Org

I made my first wiki. To view it just click here.

Multiple Intelligences Framework Table

The following is a table which briefly outlines what ICT learning activities & tools could be used to teach each of Howard Gardner's multiple intelligences:

Intelligence	Key Aspects	Relevant ICT learning activites/tools
Logical/Mathematical	Number sense, puzzles, solving problems, measuring, graphs, logical reasoning etc.	Spreadcheet software (e.g. Microsoft Excel), Mindmapping software (e.g. bubbl.us), quiz designing (e.g. quizilla.com), online & offline maths games (e.g. jigsaw puzzles, jigsawdoku.com), survey creation (e.g. surveymonkey.com) etc.
Social/Interpersonal	Sharing, social understanding, presenting, explaining etc.	Conferencing (e.g. Skype,), social networking (e.g. eblogger.com, wikispace.com, delicious.com), PowerPoint presentations etc.
Nature	Observing patterns, enjoying scenery, gardening, cooking etc.	Encyclopedias (e.g. Encyclopedia of Life), Recording documentaries (e.g. video cameras, iPods, Photostory 3, MovieMaker), virtual exploration (e.g. Google Earth), online & offline nature games (e.g. Zoo Tycoon) etc.
Body/Kinsthetic	Movement, roleplay demonstration, action, fixing, hands-on etc.	Cameras (presenting evidence), video cameras (roleplaying a scenario), recording (e.g. voice recording on iPods etc), editing (MovieMaker) etc.
Self/Intrapersonal	Reflection, journalling, self assessment, religion etc.	Mindmapping (e.g. bubble.us), journalling (eBlogger.com), researching (search engines, delicious.com), Powerpoint presentaions, quiz designing (quizilla.com) etc.
Musical	Recognising patterns of sound, music appreciation, memorisation, musical creation etc.	Creating & presenting music (e.g. Garageband, Audacity) podcasting (e.g. Audacity, iTunes, podomatic), listen to/download music (online radio, YouTube, jamendo, iTunes) etc.
Visual/Spatial	Showing, illustrating, interpreting, perceiving, decorating etc.	Art creation (Windows Paint, ArtPad), Photo editing (Adobe Photoshop), timeline creation, digital book creation, PowerPoint presentations, slideshows, animation software etc.
Verbal/Linguistic/Word	Writing, articulating, listening, expression etc.	Storytelling (e.g. YouTube, podcasting, Photostory 3, PowerPoint), blogs (eBlogger.com), mindmapping (bubbl.us) etc.

Topic 1 Concept Map

Here is my concept map for topic 1 in my managing eLearning class, which is Active Learning, Diversity & Theory. (see below)












I found the concept mapping tool at bubbl.us extremely useful. A great learning tool for congnitivism.

The Functionality of a Blog

Image Courtesy of Kaushik.net

A blog or "web log" is, more or less, an online journal or diary which can be either personal or professional in nature.

How useful could a blog be in a classroom? A brief analysis of my thoughts on this are as follows.


Strengths:

• Allows students to learn and practise professional communication, (ie. nettique).
  
• Practises computer skills, (eg. adding an image, perhaps some basic html).
  
• Can create a link between the school and home environments, (eg. accessing homework task instructions from home).
  
• Parents can acknowledge their child's achievements from home, (eg. a child's uploaded speech podcast, drawing, photos etc).
  
• Students can experience a greater connection to the wider world (beyond their classroom and country).
  
• Students can receive answers to a common problem which they share, instead of asking and discovering the answer individually.
  
• Allows the teacher to provide further information, links and resources to assist in students' learning outside of classtime.
  
• Helps students become ICT literate, which is becoming more and more essential.
  

Weaknesses:

• Students may feel isolated if an understanding beyond the blog isn't well established in class, (eg. homework tasks should not just be left for students to try to decipher online without them firstly hearing an in-class explanation).
  
• Not all students may have access to a computer with the internet at home due to a number of issues and may fall behind because of this.
  
• At this stage, many schools still do not have an adequate number of computers to cater for all students in a class and even if they do they often experience technical issues (eg. student log in issues, battery issues etc).
  
• Some students can find it difficult to work out and read from a computer for long periods of time and are reluctant to participate to their full benefit.
  
• Even a well varied blog, which may include pictures, sounds and links to games and so on, will still lack a thorough consideration of all the multiple intelligences learning styles, (eg. kinetic).
  

Opportunities:

• To expand the learning experience beyond the classroom.
  
• To promote class pride.
  
• To connect, share and learn from each other, parents, other teachers and students etc.
  
• To offer further clarification on tasks, extra curricular activities etc.
  

Threats:

• Some threat to school, teacher and student privacy if proper nettique isn't taught, learnt and adopted.
  
• Some risk of student isolation from learning.
  
• Some risk of losing the interest of less literacy-minded, intrapersonal students.
  

Should I think of any further considerations in regards to the functionality of a classroom blog I will be sure to add them.

Welcome to my Blog

Image courtesy of Flickr


Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Miss. C. As a teacher in training, I will be using this blog to explore and reflect on some of the concepts, tools and methodologies of eLearning.

These days, society is undertaking some fast technological advancements. How can I best utilise these technologies to the advantage of my future students? This is what I must now ask myself...