While on prac last year, I provided my mentor with a list of things that I wanted to experiment with in the classroom and improve on. One of the things on my list was using ICTs in maths.
My mentor said 'yeh sure, go ahead'. So I jumped at the chance and looked for some inspiration for what I could experiment with.
I'm a massive fan of Sal Khan and what he's done created with Khan academy (for his TED talk on using video to reshape education, click here). I brainstormed a little and thought about how I could use this tool to guide student's through worked examples in maths. I decided to parody my own version of a Khan academy video. I used the screen recording software on quicktime player to record my screen, I used my wacom to draw onto my paintbrush software, and put it all together using garageband! - How's that for using ICTs. The result was this YouTube video.
I found that the male students engaged more with the technology, and I was able to then go and work with them individually if they got stuck. The female student's didn't engage with it as much, and preferred for me to run the information through it again with them on the board.
The students were very used to a strict structure of taking notes and learning through going through worked examples in the board and as a result have the opportunity to discuss and develop a conceptual understanding of the topic before they use ICTs to learn. To improve, I would have focused more on making sure the communication that was presented was similar to that of what is expected when they complete questions on tests and that there was also a deeper discussion regarding the formula and theory. Stacey (2005) supports that this method could be useful when helping students to develop an understanding of the appropriate use of ICTs. Stacey (2005) mentions that one of the teachers in their study of the use of calculators stated that they wanted students to develop a strong conceptual understanding by doing simple calculations by hand before using technology to understand concepts. This aims to allow students to develop and understanding of when it is appropriate to use technology. Therefore, by stepping students through the working out 'manually' before students use ICTs they have the opportunity to develop a conceptual understanding. I would also consider introducing new topics face to face, and then providing the YouTube video to students who need to catch up and review the worked example later on.
I did encounter a problem where one student that did not have access to the internet. It it essential to consider that some students live in situations where they can not access ICTs and it is essential to make accommodations for these student's. From the perspective of ensuring that all students have the opportunity to access technology and learning equally, I would have perhaps reconsidered the activity, and in the future modify the task to allow the student an equal opportunity to learn.
From this reflection, I have developed more of an understanding as to how the use of ICTs needs to be ethical and cater to all students. It also needs to ensure that students are learning to the best of their abilities, which may require task modifications.
Stacey, K. (2005). Accessing results from research on technology in mathematics education. Australian Senior Mathematics Journal, 19(1), 8-15.
Thursday 26 February 2015
Saturday 21 February 2015
Reflection on the use of Popplet
For my own personal learning, I just finished creating a popplet to help me plan for an essay.
I just wanted to reflect on the experience and how I could use this in a classroom.
Although I didn't explore all of the functions (which I intend to do in the future) I was able to create a type of mind map that eventually lead me to be able to write a hypothesis for an essay.
I understand that my beliefs and values regarding how an essay or report should be written are quite firm and structured. I 'do' with my 'logical' brain. That is I'm a left brain-doer. That means I like to write lists and have everything sequenced. Therefore this process is a little outside of my comfort-zone as it requires the user to think about how the information could be interconnected as opposed to sequenced. However, for the right brain-thinker.. or the creative thinker, if you like, this would be perfect as it allows for flexibility and integration of creative ideas. Jennifer McIntyre covers this theory of the brain in orientation week at USQ, however, this images summarises the above. Green is the 'left brain doer' and yellow is the 'right brain thinker'.
In terms of where I could use this in the classroom, I could integrate it into an assignment preparation activity, as an inquiry tool for science and understanding the interrelatedness of concepts or to help breakdown and categorise formulas in maths.
Does anyone have any ideas of activities that you could run in a history/religion classroom?
Alice
I just wanted to reflect on the experience and how I could use this in a classroom.
Although I didn't explore all of the functions (which I intend to do in the future) I was able to create a type of mind map that eventually lead me to be able to write a hypothesis for an essay.
I understand that my beliefs and values regarding how an essay or report should be written are quite firm and structured. I 'do' with my 'logical' brain. That is I'm a left brain-doer. That means I like to write lists and have everything sequenced. Therefore this process is a little outside of my comfort-zone as it requires the user to think about how the information could be interconnected as opposed to sequenced. However, for the right brain-thinker.. or the creative thinker, if you like, this would be perfect as it allows for flexibility and integration of creative ideas. Jennifer McIntyre covers this theory of the brain in orientation week at USQ, however, this images summarises the above. Green is the 'left brain doer' and yellow is the 'right brain thinker'.
In terms of where I could use this in the classroom, I could integrate it into an assignment preparation activity, as an inquiry tool for science and understanding the interrelatedness of concepts or to help breakdown and categorise formulas in maths.
Does anyone have any ideas of activities that you could run in a history/religion classroom?
Alice
TEST analysis on an issue.
I can’t remember where to find where something is on the Study Desk?
Story of my life! I think the issue with this course specifically is that there are no PDF's (I love PDF's, because I can download them and save them in my own folders etc). Even though the course is set out spectacularly well, there are links within books and it can get very confusing.
Here's my TEST analysis to see if I can solve the problem.
Task:
What is the task/problem?
The task is to find something on study desk that is REALLY important.
Environment:
Where is the task meant to take place?
I find that while I'm studying, even though this subject has a lot of online content that can 'be accessed anywhere, at anytime, on any device' I still like to do my work on a desk AND with a pen and paper open to take notes.
Also the online environment is the study desk.
Skills:
What skills to I need?
Navigational/retrieval skills I think sums up what we need to be able to do here.
Tools:
- The search tool for forums can be a huge help if you are after something one particular person said.
- Pen and paper- If something you think is really important, why not jot down in your notepad "assignment info- under assignment tab, cover sheets and structure sheets are down the bottom. also downloaded into assignment 1 folder on USB". Or, for each new book not down the title and subheadings in each as a personal map to the study desk.
- There are also plenty of online tools such as the Diigo tool that can help to locate information at a later date.
Story of my life! I think the issue with this course specifically is that there are no PDF's (I love PDF's, because I can download them and save them in my own folders etc). Even though the course is set out spectacularly well, there are links within books and it can get very confusing.
Here's my TEST analysis to see if I can solve the problem.
Task:
What is the task/problem?
The task is to find something on study desk that is REALLY important.
Environment:
Where is the task meant to take place?
I find that while I'm studying, even though this subject has a lot of online content that can 'be accessed anywhere, at anytime, on any device' I still like to do my work on a desk AND with a pen and paper open to take notes.
Also the online environment is the study desk.
Skills:
What skills to I need?
Navigational/retrieval skills I think sums up what we need to be able to do here.
Tools:
- The search tool for forums can be a huge help if you are after something one particular person said.
- Pen and paper- If something you think is really important, why not jot down in your notepad "assignment info- under assignment tab, cover sheets and structure sheets are down the bottom. also downloaded into assignment 1 folder on USB". Or, for each new book not down the title and subheadings in each as a personal map to the study desk.
- There are also plenty of online tools such as the Diigo tool that can help to locate information at a later date.
Reflection on Educational theory (Week 1 activity).
Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development.
Description:
Although this theory is not strongly linked to the use of ICTs in the classroom, I thought it would be a good place to start thinking about educational theory. Although, throughout this course, I believe most of us will be extending our zone's of proximal development as we learn to use new ICTs. In education, most of us are familiar with the concept of the zone of proximal development. The image below describes where this zone aligns with student abilities. I like to think of this theory as where we should always be in terms of learning and teaching and why I need to scaffold tasks to extend the zone and build on what students can do.
Follow this link to learn more about the Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development.
Personal experience:
I think this theory is brilliant. It lays the foundation of why we actually learn, to extend ourselves, to broaden our horizons and become more. It's encourages what I like to call 'taking calculated risks,' by acknowledging that I (or a student) have the potential to do something, but need a bit of support to get there.
Critical analysis and other perspectives:
Based on my belief of the need to challenge students and my belief that learning is a basic human right, this theory suits perfectly to allow me to do that. However, if I was to assume that student's didn't require my support to build n their learning (e.g. they either can't learn based on personality, or students don't need my support based on a theory where the teacher doesn't lead the classroom, the student's do) the argument would be different. For those who do believe this, they may argue that the student can't extend further than what they can already do, or they can achieve extending their zone of what they can do without assistance.
For example, it is argued in this document on p. 14 that this theory can only be assumed to work within the interaction between adult and child. However, I would argue that the teacher could support all students by developing strategies to allow the students to 'become the teachers' to extend their zone of proximal development. This holds true especially when using ICTs as teachers can often not be the experts in the room!
Outcome:
As long as we teachers believe that all students can learn from their peers and teachers, this theory helps us to understand how to support students to learn. When they learn they change the zone of 'can do with support' to 'can do alone' and thus extending the zone of proximal development.
Personal experience:
I think this theory is brilliant. It lays the foundation of why we actually learn, to extend ourselves, to broaden our horizons and become more. It's encourages what I like to call 'taking calculated risks,' by acknowledging that I (or a student) have the potential to do something, but need a bit of support to get there.
Critical analysis and other perspectives:
Based on my belief of the need to challenge students and my belief that learning is a basic human right, this theory suits perfectly to allow me to do that. However, if I was to assume that student's didn't require my support to build n their learning (e.g. they either can't learn based on personality, or students don't need my support based on a theory where the teacher doesn't lead the classroom, the student's do) the argument would be different. For those who do believe this, they may argue that the student can't extend further than what they can already do, or they can achieve extending their zone of what they can do without assistance.
For example, it is argued in this document on p. 14 that this theory can only be assumed to work within the interaction between adult and child. However, I would argue that the teacher could support all students by developing strategies to allow the students to 'become the teachers' to extend their zone of proximal development. This holds true especially when using ICTs as teachers can often not be the experts in the room!
Outcome:
As long as we teachers believe that all students can learn from their peers and teachers, this theory helps us to understand how to support students to learn. When they learn they change the zone of 'can do with support' to 'can do alone' and thus extending the zone of proximal development.
Friday 20 February 2015
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