1251 Understanding Information and Communication T echnologies for Teaching

1. 1251 Understanding Information and Communication Technologies for Teaching By Lario Grabe Semester 1, 2014

2. Before Before this course I had never really experience the multiple uses of technology in the classroom and the advantages that were available. The only experiences I had a school which were related to using technology were doing assignment in the computer labs. I believe that exposing the new generation of teachers to understanding information and communication technologies for teaching will allow them to be more prepared and will also assist them in helping the new generation of students.

3. In the Beginning The start of this course provided a lot of interest and being a first year university student a lot of stress, the first lecture was full of information from assessments, dates and important information regarding the course. Until the start of this course I was never familiar with twitter and never even considered using it until I learned that it could be used to communicate with my other classmates and even my lecturers. This was the beginning which opened my eyes to the potential of teaching with technology.

4. Week 2 The second week was a little different, the emphasis on teaching was there more so than the emphasis on technology. This week we learned about the Australian professional standards for teachers which referred to pro knowledge, pro practice and pro engagement. The Pedagogical framework was also an important part of the second week. Like the lecture the week before we were encouraged to tweet about our experiences in the second weeks lecture. We we’re also reminded about the cyber safety course which needed to be done along with our other assessment.

5. Week 3 This was the last week before our ePortfolio and cybersafety certificate were due to be finished, in the tutorials we were working on both of these assessment pieces with the assistance of our tutor. The cybersafety ensured that we were all aware of the various harmful internet related issues that we as teachers would have to be aware of especially as we were endorsing teaching using technology, social media included. The ePortfolio included an introduction which provided information about ourselves along with A page for each of the AITSL Australian Teaching Standards with Focus Areas and Descriptors.

6. Week 4 Week 4 was about designing learning experiences using TPACK and SAMR, TPACK was broken into 3 parts; PCK, TPK and TCK. PCK refers to how the chosen teaching strategies allow students to meet skills and content objectives, TPK asks is this the best technological tool for the chosen teaching strategy? Why or why not? Lastly TCK indicates how the subject matter is better illuminated by the use of this technology? Is this the most effective tool to teach the content and the skills? The abbreviations PCK, TPK and TCK refer to various combinations of content, pedagogy and technology. SAMR identifies four different things which are Substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition. Substitution refers to using technology to do the same thing you did without it (eBooks are used in reading Groups), augmentation is the same thing as substitution but with minor improvements (Basic Functions of eBooks are used “Read to me”), modification refers to using technology which allows new products to be created as well as improves efficiency (camera function to record oral retells. Record the reading for feedback, synthesis of learning) and lastly redefinition requires one to redesign the task using tech previously inconceivable. “Best Experience” (use of iBooks Author to create media rich ePub book which can be shared globally).

7. Week 5 Week 5 involved a lecture from John Burn and was about learning innovation which incorporated various steps all regarding lessons with iPad’s. he referred to various apps and programs which could potentially be used effectively in a classroom. The lecture incorporated everything regarding concerning the use of an iPad in the classroom from procedures for students to use the iPads safely and without harming the technology to various types of research capabilities. In the tutorial it was required to work on the scoop.it task which was the next assessment piece. This week really demonstrated the advantages of having iPad capabilities in the classrooms and the benefits to students learning.

8. Week 6 Week 6 was focused on connectivism, this was broken down into 9 parts which argue that learning and knowledge require adversity, learning is a network formation process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources, knowledgerests in networks, knowledge may reside in non-human appliances, capacity to know more is more critical than what is known already, learning is an on going process, the ability to make sense of various situations is the core concept of individuals today, up to date knowledge is the intent of all connectivist learning activities and lastly connectivism indicates that being able to make decisions enables learning. All of these points gives a great insight and assists in the knowledge required to become a successful teacher. These various arguments have the ability to ensure that the next generation of teachers have the ability to be flexible in their understanding of how to teach but also have a reasonable knowledge of what is required to be a successful teacher.

9. Week 8 As week 7 did not have any lectures or tutorials the time was allocated to work on the video task which was to do with alcohol fueled violence, this task clearly depicted the importance of drinking responsibly and especially illustrated the simplicity of making a video to convey a lesson. The video task proved that you can present various points throughout a lesson via a video. In week 8 their was an emphasis on the various adaptations to technology that promotes accessibility for diverse learners, these included various features available on iPads which could assist students with various disabilities such as deafness or vision impairments. The tutorial also emphasized the importance of accessibility features on technology by working in groups to identify other accessibility features on other technological devices.

10. Week 9 During week 9 the lecture the topic of flipping the classroom was introduced, this technique identifies a different approach to teaching by allowing the students to take more responsibility for their own learning by giving the students their work which they are able to work through on their own time at home. The information covered usually online will then need to be understood so the students will be capable to interpret the information when they return to school where they would work in groups to discuss the information which would in turn allow for a better understanding in the classroom. Of course this technique required the students to actually do the work outside of the classroom to be able to effectively contribute during the time in class. This technique gives a new outlook into the advantages of using technology to teach by taking advantage of the internet to allow students to access their work online. The tutorial allowed students to work on their digital literacy task and pinterest task.

11. Week 10 Week 10 incorporated a new topic called The Horizon report. The Horizon report is an online document that assists educators all over the world keep up to speed with the various innovations in technology regarding learning. The lecture included various ways in which one can get involved with The Horizon report via twitter, facebook and more. This lecture corroborates the fact that technology is always changing and to be an effective and successful teacher it is essential to stay up to speed with the various technological advances available especially in regard to using technology in a classroom environment. The Horizon report is a perfect example of a whole society of educators who insist on being effective and helping their students via technology and they do so by learning as much as they can and keeping updated with the latest in ICT for teaching.

12. Week 11 In week 11 mobile learning was brought up as it plays an extensive role in teaching using ICT. The visions for mobile learning or “M” learning is broken up into 4 aspects, it requires students to actively take part in their own learning, students need to analyze and create their own content, student are to understand that there is no geographic boundaries to their learning and lastly that students are connected to the world outside their classroom. The lecture also looked at the impacts of M learning on pedagogy, lesson planning and classroom management. This lecture also encouraged the students to tweet about their experiences and to communicate their thoughts and feelings towards M learning. This week reinforced the importance of students being required to understand their capabilities as students and to enforce that all students have the ability to take their leaning into their own hands.

13. Week 12/13 These final weeks have focused on the importance of this log of learning, it allowed us to put the final touches on this piece of assessment. This assessment has portrayed the importance of recalling previously learnt information to assist in further understanding the various concepts associated with that topic. By using a log of learning students can make sure that they are competent in their studies and understand the various topics associated with them. A log of learning could be used for a variety of subjects and makes a interesting assessment item for any subject.

14. My experiences with 1251EDN Throughout this semester I have learnt a large variety of things regarding teaching using ICT. The information that was made evident throughout this course is all essential to be an effective and successful teacher. The use of technology in the classroom allows for much more in depth and interactive learning tasks, this course was essential in my preparation to becoming a teacher as it allows me to prepare for the future by informing me of the potential of technology not just for the students of today but also teaching me that technology will always play an extensive role in the classroom and that if it is not utilized and utilized effectively then students in the classroom will suffer. This course was immensely enjoyable as it incorporated a topic which will always be useful and will continue to assist me long into the future.

15. Conclusion In conclusion all of the information presented in this log of learning was my experiences and opinion of this class. The experiences of this class are ones that I would use daily as a teacher and ones that I would use for the entirety of my teaching career, this course is one that is essential for any upcoming teacher not only to be able to use technology but to incorporate it into the classroom of tomorrow. I am very grateful for the opportunity to have been in this class and I feel that the opportunity and new found knowledge will be put to good use.