How many hats do we have to wear?

 I found reflecting on the effectiveness of mobile phones through a wiki to be an engaging way to increase my prior knowledge on a variety of topics and would readily use this teaching tool within my classroom. It provided a forum to share knowledge and viewpoints on a particular subject and could be used in conjunction with any KLA and topic. It provides an arena in which a student might feel more inclined to share their opinion with their peers as it is not face to face. This would be beneficial for those students that don’t really share their ideas in the classroom situation. This medium would also enable the teacher to obtain a true picture of what each student is contributing and the thinking that they are involved with.  There were a few potential problems with this teaching tool that I thought of. Firstly, self-conscious, insecure students might have an issue with posting their beliefs and thoughts where anyone, and probably everyone in their class, will be able to read them. They might feel that their peers will judge their academic level. Another downside could be that it would be easy for one student to post something incorrect at the beginning of the wiki and have students after that following their lead. Before long half of the class could believe the inaccurate statement, change their original view and post more incorrect information. This problem could be eliminated by the teacher supervising the activity closely. Continual monitoring would ensure that if any incorrect information or inappropriate opinions were posted then they could be rectified. 

Another potential negative for this could be that it could stifle creativity. Once students read the post prior to theirs it could be hard for them to disengage what they just read and write their own original viewpoint. A solution to this could be that students write their entries first in a book or word document and then post them. Implementing this practice would assist in students maintaining their creativity. 

The six thinking hats activity, mobile phones within classrooms and whole class wikis would create many learning benefits for students and teachers. An activity similar to the one undertaken develops students’ higher order thinking as they are evaluating and analysing what their peers have said and then reflecting on how this knowledge impacts on their individual beliefs and prior knowledge. They are innovative teaching tools that are based in the technology that students these days are surrounded in and would most likely increase the learning outcomes achieved within the classroom. To maximise the benefits reaped from these activities the teacher would need to scaffold the activity so that students were aware of what was required of them. 

By participating in this activity online we are experiencing Connectivism. This learning theory of the digital age highlights that we derive our competence from forming connections with other information sources (Siemens, 2004). We are connecting to our peers and sharing our information to further our understanding of this topic. Due to this collaborative learning, facilitated by technology, we are continually updating and improving our knowledge.

It was evident that construtivism was also present during this activity. We were required to post our thoughts, views and opinions of this subject in a place where our peers could read it. As a result of this I am sure that many people read other posts that had been contributed which would have impacted and potentially shaped their original perception of that topic. This process involved questioning, reflecting, discovering and discussing knowledge which is the very basis of constructivism (Snowman, Dobozy, Scevak, Bryer, Bartlett & Biehler, 2009). In later reflection of this activity with peers it was discovered that many, as a result of this activity, had to question the understanding they held about this topic, discovered new information and evolve their knowledge on the topic.

	Feelings: How do I feel about this? What do I like about the idea? What don't I like about the idea?	I too have positive and negative feelings about this topic. I believe that this technology in classroom could provide a myriad of positive benefits, engagement, diversity, new knowledge. It could mean the difference between a student engaging in a topic and understanding a concept or not gaining any knowledge on that topic and to me if just one student has experienced a break through or attained knowledge that they otherwise would not have then to me it is worth it. I also agree that it could be a distraction for some, however my main concern when discussing this is finances. Would the phones by provided by the school or would students be expected (as it is assumed in our society) to have their own phone? For those students that come from a low socio-economic background it would be extremely detrimental if it was their responsibility to provide their own phone. There would also be the typical student teasing that that students doesn't have the latest/flashiest phone and the associated embarrassment. I have to believe though that this would not be the case should this program be introduced in a class and educators would be sensitive to these issues.
	Benefits: What are the good points? Why can this be successful? Why is this a good thing?	Having just come from a lecture that involved the large majority of students using their mobile phones (for educational purposes) I have to approach this topic from a positive stand point. I believe that there is a time and place for such technology within the classroom and that it could be highly beneficial for students learning, however there would have to be clear guidelines and restrictions outlined to students before beginning the task to implement it successfully. There is such a large amount of resources and funding going towards the development of this technology that it seems wasteful not to utilise it. These days mobile phones can do so much more than just calling and messaging. Students would be able to research, take photos, make tables, time themselves, use the calendar etc. The list is endless. Using this technology could also increase the students’ engagement with the lesson and the content being taught.

Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional design and learning theory. Retrieved from http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm#The%20Basics%20of%20Behaviorism

 

Siemens, G. (2004). Connectivism: a learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved from             http://www.ingedewaard.net/papers/connectivism/2005_siemens_ALearningTheoryForTheDigitalAge.pdf

Snowman, Dobozy, Scevak, Bryer, Bartlett & Biehler. (2009). Psychology: Applied to teaching. Milton, Queensland: John Wiley & Sons Australia

What can TPCK do for us?

To achieve a successful and effective classroom there must be the interaction of three key elements, content, pedagogy and technology (Mishra & Koehler). This article highlighted the importance of not only understanding but becoming completely competent in these three components. The deep understanding of these concepts and how they intertwine enables the teacher to apply them in a diverse way to construct content specific strategies to achieve higher learning outcomes. For many, incorporating the TPCK framework is a daunting prospect and one that requires self-reflection and an adjustment of beliefs, teaching styles and personal abilities. The difficulties perceived with this topic have the potential of making it even more difficult for educators to become versed in the ways of integrating technology into the classroom. With the provision of the correct expertise and support the transition required to implement successful interplay between content, pedagogy and technology teachers should be able to accept this change much more readily. It would be a remiss of teachers to be aware of a framework that would provide enhanced learning opportunities for students and not implement it in their classroom.

A key ideal that has been taught throughout this course is to engage the learner in a meaningful way. This concept needs to be applied to educating teachers on how to view content, pedagogy and technology as one seamless idea. It would be beneficial for teachers to view the change that is required in their classroom in an authentic way instead of believing that it is just an order from some upper echelon of the education system that has a skewed view of what is required in our schools. Teachers need to comprehend the value of technology within the education system.

The implementation of this concept in the construction of this online course has resulted in our peers being able to partake in connectivism and extend and refine our knowledge on a wide variety of topics.

The students that are coming through our classes today are digital natives and as such teachers should recognise this and use the language that these students are used to conversing in. 

Here is a clip that discusses digital natives in a way that proves what technology can do for education. Think afterward whether you were engaged whilst watching this clip and if it is likely that you will remember this for longer than you would if you read an article on it. I know that I certainly will. 

This clip even proved how ingrained technology is in our society – there were little icons, symbols and words throughout it that did not have to be explained as it is believed that the knowledge to critical analyse this and understand what it means is common knowledge – such as the blue bird holding the ‘follow me’ sign. How many people unconsciously knew that it was referring to twitter?

The implementation of the TPCK framework within classrooms would prove beneficial to all concerned, assist in students academic achievement and increase their enjoyment in their education. 

How does learning theory and learning styles intertwine with technology?

How easy is it for all of us to zone out when we are supposed to be paying attention to whatever we are learning. Our lack of focus can be attributed to a myriad of reasons and yet as mature adults we have a few skills that should make this easier for us then the children that we will be teaching one day, determination, focus, discipline and being able to see what our labour will get us. Having these skills in our arsenal should make the process of engaging in material even easier for us and yet we still, on occasion, slide. Yet we expect the children in our class to always pay undivided attention. As Prensky (2005) outlines, it is our job as teachers to provided interesting and appealing material for students so that they engage in the content being taught and achieve the learning outcomes required. Not only does this material need to be engaging but also at a high enough academic standard that students do not need to “power down every time they go to class” (Prensky, 2005).

Once reading the material on behaviourism where Pavlov, Watson, Thorndike and Skinner outlined the stimulus-response pattern in conditioned behaviour I started to wonder where some peoples' belief that technology does not have a place within the classrooms of today comes from. Whether they actually hold this belief or whether they have had previous negative experiences when using technology and it is now an unconscious behaviour that they don’t like it?  Technology is what has allowed us to discover the information supplied by this course and share it with our peers to enrich our learning on these topics. We are applying connectivism right now as we all tap out our blogs and communicate the knowledge we have interpreted and gained from the course materials.

Whatever the teacher’s belief or preference is it is our duty to provide any and all resources that we can to ensure that students are engaged in the learning taking place within the classroom. It seems that increasingly the resources that are required are the digital resources that these children are surrounded by. Discovering students learning styles is another important tool in designing lessons in the most beneficial way to all students within the classroom.

I believe knowing a students preferred learning style can assist greatly in delivering content in a way that is effectively and successfully conveyed, however discovering the right tool to assess a learning style can be difficult. There are endless amounts of test out there on the internet that can be applied to determine a learning style. I found completing the learning styles test this week quite difficult/annoying. I have completed quite a few of these tests and I always sit debating which answer to pick and which one will truly represent me. At the end of the tests I have to wonder whether they are a true assessment of my learning style or if I have manipulated the answers to generate the result that I think applies to myself.  The benefit of digital resources within the classroom is that they can cater to all learning styles visual, auditory and kinaesthetic so it isn’t so important to have a 100% accurate result. Below are the results from my learning styles test.

      Results for: Holly T

      ACT      X                                            REF

           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11

                              <-- -->

      SEN      X                                            INT

           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11

                              <-- -->

      VIS          X                                        VRB

           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11

                              <-- -->

      SEQ                  X                                GLO

           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11

                              <-- -->