SYNCING DIGITAL LEARNING TO KEY LEARNING AREAS

1. SYNCING DIGITAL LEARNING TO KEY LEARNING AREAS ACU Education Seminar Series 17th September 2009 Dr. Kay Carroll kay.carroll@acu.edu.au

2. Why do we need to sync?http://sachachua.com/wp/2009/09/01/a-teachers-guide-to-web-2-0-at-school-illustrated/

3. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Web_2.0_Map.svghttp://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Web_2.0_Map.svg

4. Why sync?

5. Why is it important? • http://www.deewr.gov.au/SCHOOLING/DIGITALEDUCATIONREVOLUTION/Pages/default.aspx

6. National Visionhttp://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/1134099/national_ict_visionCreate our own visionhttp://www.wordle.net/ • Joint Ministerial Statement (2008) ICT “are enabling the transformation of the curriculum and changing the ways that learners and educators operate, learn and interact…” “Australia will have technology enriched learning environments that enable students to achieve high quality learning outcomes and productively contribute to our society and economy”.

7. The National Educational Goals The National Educational Goals for Young Australians (2008) want students to: • engage with problem-solving; • become socially literate; • are Technologically literate; • have cultural literacy.

8. So what does that mean for us as teachers? • Classroom teachers of the Twentieth First Century require flexible and reflective pedagogical practices to engage, educate and develop students into adaptive, creative and connected learners.

9. MCEETYA Learning Statements 2006 ICT PEDAGOGY ICT PEDAGOGY

10. Definitions • ICT is “an inadequate term” to define the dynamic, fluid and multi-contextual nature of a wide range of technologies (Loveless, 2003).

11. Catalyst for change • ICT is a catalyst for change and a cause for concern and anxiety amongst teachers (Watson, 2001). • The great innovation has not been effectively scrutinised or evaluated (Somekh, 2000). • Future research needs to address the question of why should teachers use technology? (Robyler & Knezek, 2003).

12. So what can we learn from international research. • The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA). • Digital cameras and video was used well in primary years for capturing tasks and enhanced assessment and communication with home. • Video-role playing enabled peer collaboration and review. • Video-making enriched excursions or site studies.

13. BECTA • Improved outcomes for English as a second language children as the physical barrier of writing was removed. • Improved outcomes for gifted and talented students as it allowed students to self-direct and extend their learning and not rely on teacher expertise.

14. BECTA Research findings • Control and mastery over learning was important and could be achieved through project work. • Project work conducted amongst groups was enabled by the technology and was more authentic. • Digital portfolios are evolving to capture student work. • Focus on outputs or students as democratic creaters of text makes the learning personal and relevant.

15. What can we learn from this as educators?

16. The Research Design Aim • This project investigates the Information Communication Technology (ICT) experiences and pedagogy of History and HSIE teachers in K-12 Catholic schools, within the Diocese of Sydney.

17. Research Objectives • Identify and describe the experiences and perceptions of teachers using ICT in their History/HSIE classrooms. • Understand how ICT practices may change History and HSIE teaching modalities. • Identify and recommend areas of professional development that are required by History and HSIE teachers for sustainable and effective ICT practices in their classrooms.

18. Context for the Study

19. Significance and research about History/HSIE Key ICT • Research about how to learn History using ICT is limited (Cox, & Abbott ,2004; Romeo, 2007; Taylor, 2008). • Limited evidence of ICT teaching within HSIE primary classes; • some evidence that ICT supports students’ problem-solving and decision-making skills in secondary History contexts (Cox & Abbott, 2004).

20. Significance:International Research • Studies by the Office for Standards in Education had reported a wide variance in the pedagogy and efficacy of secondary history teachers using ICT (Ofsted, 2002) . • The study indicates that History teachers generally do not use ICT as much as other teachers of other subjects but in classrooms where ICT and History are integrated the teaching is of high quality.

21. Significance:Australian Research • Australian research by Taylor (2008) recommends that students in History classes should use ICT to support high-order thinking. • This project is informed by recommendations of Romeo, (2008) and Taylor, (2008) indicating that ICT could be used to support higher order critical thinking in History.

22. Theoretical Perspectives: Critical thinking in History • is conceptualised as historical thinking and understanding (Sexias, 2006; Sexias & Peck, 2004; Taylor, 2000; Taylor & Young, 2004; Wineburg, 2001). • Migrants Arriving 1961

23. Theoretical Construct: MCEETYA Learning Statements 2006 ICT PEDAGOGY ICT PEDAGOGY

24. Case Study Design Arch-diocese of Sydney

25. Method of Data Collection • Document content analysis of school policy, reports, websites. • Interviews conducted across four sites. • Interviews used a semi-structured schedule around three key areas: • Experience of using ICT in KLA of History and HSIE • Results, limitations and benefits of using ICT in History & HSIE • Professional development experiences. 

26. Participants

27. Research Findings: Creating • Teachers integrate ICT based on pedagogical needs & provide opportunities for problem solving, analysing, self-learning. • Integration of ICT occurs in powerful, novel and creative ways. • It is the pedagogy driving ICT and student are active producers of knowledge. • ICT Pedagogy in History creates sustained and personalisedlearning for gifted students, while providing platforms for students to showcase their creativity.

28. Research Findings: Communication • The social environment and culture are effecting literacy skills required and practised by students. • Students are learning literacy in various forms early and in contexts other than school. • Teachers having to cater for, program and develop these new literacies that are frequently learnt and negotiated in diverse contexts by students. • Visual literacy is becoming increasingly utilised due to the rich content available.

29. Disconfirming Research Findings • Traditional approaches to literacy are still practised. • Some forms of writing require skills that are not ICT based such as some forms of writing such as letter writing need to be personalised.

30. Research Findings: Inquiry “For me as a History teacher I can call up Google, or Youtube… Youtube is fantastic! Because I am a teacher who can think on the spot. Because I like to bring up something that is recent, relevant, I like to be thinking all the time. Like last night I thought about our study of Land Rights, Uluru and I thought brilliant will use Midnight Oil Soul Dead Heart”.

31. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd_diPTrjpI

32. Research Findings: Inquiry • The wide range of resources made available through ICT enhances student engagement and in History/HSIE the relevance and immediacy of the world. • I used it in History with a Stars Wars theme, it had music, you know set it in a land, far, far way and a long, long time ago. We looked at the Crusades. They know the music. Ideas from popular culture to get them interested. The students knew straight away and were interested from the start. We looked at the second crusade and the following ones were linked in this. It was one of the better topics. We were able to make it relevant about today”.

33. Research Findings: Inquiry • Inquiry has become integrated with ICT to drive learning, acquisition and the creation of knowledge. • The learning contexts are shifting too and accelerated, high-level learning is possible and enable the teacher to become a facilitator. • Boys' learning experiences are approached differently using ICT pedagogy. • While ICT is powerful the subject knowledge is key. You can choose the strategy from this premise.

34. Research Findings: Operating ICT • Lack of consensus about the ICT competency demonstrated by students but consensus about the need for students to be able to operationalise ICT. • Competencies using ICT were shifting with web 2.0 technologies. • Students in primary were doing more than mouse clicking and word processing. • Leading the teachers using publisher & flash.

35. Research Findings: Ethical Use and Interaction • There are ethical issues such as web safety, interaction, bullying, censorship that conflict with the communication, and inquiry skills that ICT are enhancing • This is particularly evident with web 2.0 technologies such as wikis and blogs.

36. Research Findings: Ethical Use and Interaction • The need to supervise internet content and the risks involved are evident.   • ICT use is managed and controlled by the coordinator. • The need for the email and the network to be filtered.

37. Emerging Themes from the Findings

38. Research Findings: Teachers • “Some people are quite frightened by the technology” (Karina). • “Now I have the smartboard I cannot live without this” (Samantha).

39. Research Findings: Teachers-Changing practices • “I think the smartboard is really opened up HSIE subjects” (Julie). • It is evident that ICT is creating different practices in HSIE/History. • Experiential learning • Digital learning • Collaborative learning • Using oral history • Developing research learning

40. Research Findings: Disconfirming • Noted in the data was the disconnect between ‘gen y’ and rich pedagogy using ICT. • It is a false assumption sometimes that younger teachers are more ICT focused. Sometimes younger teachers are not prepared to shift their pedagogy from teacher control (Ian, Tracy).

41. Research Findings: Professional Development • Flexible PD is preferred. • Informal professional • development is already occurring in terms of colleague to colleague sharing ideas. • More of this form of PD is required in HSIE/History. • PD is difficult when implemented in isolation for lack of validation, accountability, support and strategic thinking for future pedagogical directions.

42. Research Findings: Changing the role of teaching/learning • Students have become sources of quasi professional learning. • “I am happy to learn from students I am not too much of a top down model, as long as they are respectful” (Karina). • “The students have taught me everything I know about computers. That has been the joy of it. They tell me “you have got so much better, you were crap last year”. I am like amazed….” (Tracy).

43. Research Findings: Enablers-Opportunities • The introduction of smartboards have provided opportunities for the teachers to integrate ICT in the primary and secondary curriculum. • “Over time you find different things to work with. Having it in your room each day is better. You learn new things” (Jeremy).

44. Research Findings: Enablers -PD • Support for smartboards is provided once a term and PD is still at a conceptual stage. • PD using expert advice and replication of practices from different contexts.

45. Research Findings:Enablers:-Vision • The school views ICT as an integral part of learning and having a key role in students' career and future prospects. • Ownership and vision is vital. • Without a vision, explorations can be directionless and can be exhaust precious resources and time in futile ventures.

46. Research Findings: Limitations in using ICT • Careful and proactive selection of ICT prevents some of the drawbacks in the use of ICT such as reliability or ethics. • New ICT practices can only be introduced in phases. • School is providing resources for self-learning to teachers yet access to resources are still an impediment. • Role of teachers as IT experts is a limitation . • Schools needs to provide holistic support and conceptualise teachers as professionals not mere technicians. • Teachers are more important than other resources which can include ICT.

47. Research Findings: Limitations • Technology inevitably fails. • Issues about reliability, portability • Timetabling, rotations, structural decisions may need to be made.

48. How to use Digital technology in the KLA of History & HSIE. • http://thinkingweb2.wikispaces.com/

49. How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education • http://www.newhorizons.org/trans/yero.htm • Web 2.0 Image • http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Web_2.0_Map.svg • Podcasting software & forum • http://www.podcastalley.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=108 • Teacher Talk and Help • http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/gadgets.html • Michelle Rhee : http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0,32068,3349235001_1862693,00.html

50. Conclusion: ICT and use in History & HSIE. • Evidence based understanding about the current practices and perceptions of ICT use in History and HSIE teaching. • Use ICT as rich pedagogy to create, communicate, inquire about History/HSIE. • ICT creates engagement, is authentic, develops problem solving, extending inquiry practices. • All teachers can develop a portfolio about ICT rich pedagogy in History/HSIE.