Reflective Synopsis

The last 7 weeks have been a very interesting journey for me in my learning of all things digital.  I have always struggled with ICT so to say that it has been an easy 7 weeks for me would be an understatement. However I have thoroughly enjoyed the new learning that this course has brought to my understanding of how exactly technology can be used and integrated into every class and not only support student learning but improve it. This is especially important with teaching Generation Z and the huge impact and requirement that this new generation rely on technology in their life both at home and at school. This makes digital technologies paramount in my teaching and my pedagogy.

Whilst discovering and investigating the different genres of technologies that have been presents to me over the last 2 months of this course, I have come to the conclusion that students’ knowledge and ability is far beyond that of teachers in reference to all things technological. In fact many teachers are perhaps apprehensive and overwhelmed with the thought of using technologies in their classrooms; me being one of them (however a lot less after this course). This obviously needs to change as technology is the only way forward and it will continue to grow and become even more pertinent in today’s classroom.

We are moving away from the traditional classroom and traditional teaching methods. Once upon a time technology was occasionally used whereas now every lesson involves some form of technology. This forward movement will ultimately result in all teachers adapting their pedagogy to include ICT in their classroom in every lesson. As a teacher, it is our job to scaffold our students learning and therefore paramount that we too move with the times and ensure technology plays a vital role in every classroom.

Something that has surprised me is how user friendly ICT really is. Until now I have always thought of ICT as being something that I would never be able to accomplish using myself. Throughout my weekly reflections I was surprised at how often I was able to make comment about the use of ease of each digital tool that I chose to investigate further. Not being technologically literate at all, I was pleasantly surprised to find the ease of creating and using the different tools. This was comforting and built my confidence in my ability to be able to actually use this ICT regularly and not just a once off in this course.

The SAMR model was a valuable tool for me and one which I will endeavour to refer back to in my teaching.  I initially found it quite difficult to understand the concept of the last two stages. On reflection whenever I had thought about using ICT in a classroom it would have fallen into the ‘Substitution’ or ‘Augmentation’ stage of this model. Therefore it would not have enhanced my students learning but just replaced. This was a valuable insight that I gained and how that using technology needs to go above and beyond that of just replacing a traditional method.

When completing my SAMR table each week I was intrigued to see how I could make it work in a Manual Arts classroom. I had never really thought of Manual Arts being a discipline subject that ICT would be very well used in. My only thoughts would be when students would use computer programs such as CAD etc but not necessarily seeing the difference between students using ICT in learning rather than for learning. Certainly when I was at school, Manual Arts was indeed that – Manual. Whereas now ICT plays a very important role in any classroom, Manual Arts included. Using the SAMR model really opened my eyes into the implementation of each digital tool in my classroom.

An aspect of my learning journey that I was very unaware of was the Legal, safe and ethical issues surrounding technology. It was not something that I had considered that much before now, especially the use of images and YouTube videos and the copyright laws that surround them. This is definitely an area that I will need to investigate further and ensure that I follow these laws and issues at all times. This will also need to be explained in detail to any students as well.   

        

I am very much looking forward to next term and completing my second prac and being able to implement what I have learnt into my teaching practice. Seeing how my students respond and engage will be very rewarding. Although there are still massive gaps in my learning and understanding, I now feel that I am more prepared and willing to explore ICT and use it at every opportunity I have and see how my students benefit from this.

Collaborative Reflection

I commenced the weekly blogging activities just over 6 weeks ago with some reservation about the benefit I would receive out of participating in them. Having never participated in this kind of activity and ICT before now, it was a very new learning journey for me, especially with the amount of ICT I was going to be using. However I enjoy writing so was looking forward to recording my thoughts and learning each week.

I was unsure about the idea of everyone reading each other’s blogs from the point of view of marking and being graded. My initial thoughts were that people may just copy ideas and thoughts from other people and not do their own work and use other peoples writing. However I soon saw that this was just a different way of learning and being educated and one that I see true value in.

Other students having the ability to read and comment on my writings each was were exciting and daunting at the same time. It was exciting to see what other student’s opinions of my ideas and thoughts about the various ICT’s were, but at the same time daunting as it was not only the lecturer who was viewing my work but everybody. Although daunting this had its benefits as everyone has different viewpoints and so you are not only gaining feedback and a point of view from one person but many which resulted in a greater understanding of each task.

I also found it great to read other peoples blogs, especially if they were studying the same discipline as me. This way I was able to gain an even broader understanding of how that particular ICT could be used in my classroom and form part of my digital pedagogy and expand my knowledge base even further.  This was also beneficial in the later weeks where we were choosing one out of the three options to blog about as there was such a variety of different methods and ICT’s used.  I found reading the SAMR model of different blogs very informative and it gave me a variety of ideas and ways to integrate ICT in my students’ lessons and for them to achieve a higher level of thinking.

As a teacher I will continue to explore online learning communities and gain an even greater understanding of the benefits of them and I will ensure my students participate in this form of advantageous collaboration. 

Embedded Task 5 - Google Docs (Collaborative Authoring)

Google Docs

Whilst having heard of the term Google Docs, I have never been exposed to it or used them in my learning so far. However I can definitely see the benefit of this ICT in my classroom.

Google Docs is user friendly and I found it very familiar to use given its Microsoft Word like format, so even someone with no previous experience would be able to navigate their way around creating one. You can customise Google Docs similar to that of how you can a Microsoft Word document, such as changing font size and colour. You can also add images, insert tables, link to websites and use paint. Google Docs is a multi-author tool that allows you to invite other people to edit the document which can be done at the same time as someone else editing the document and uses name flags to show you who is editing what. Their is also a history function that allows you to view previous versions before they were edited and it also advises the author, time and day when the document was last edited. 

Google Docs will support my digital pedagogy and inspire student collaboration which is an important outcome that I want all my students to learn and achieve in my class. Google Docs could be used in a multitude of ways in a Manual Arts class/workshop. I would predominately have my students use Google Docs when working on group assessments. By doing this, students would be able to work on their assessment anywhere and at anytime. They would also be able to work on the assessment when other students are working on it also which would eliminate any delays with working on the assessment task (unlike the traditional method where the document might be emailed between students or exchanged from student to student via a USB). As a teacher, I could use Google Docs to help give prompt feedback to students where I could edit their work and ideas at anytime and therefore save time in class. One of the most beneficial uses of Google Docs is not only the interaction and collaboration between student and teacher or between students in class, but the ability to collaborate with someone anywhere in the world at anytime. This idea really encapsulates how this form of ICT is important in my digital pedagogy and how I will endeavor to have this in my classroom for all my students. 

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SAMR Model based on Google Docs

S - Teacher uses Google Docs and invites children to view document online as part of homework (rather than using handouts)
A - Teacher uses Google Docs and allows students to edit document and add their own ideas
M - Students create own Google Doc to share with teacher to allow for feedback and idea suggestions
R - Students use Google Docs to work collaboratively with other students at the same time

Image of Google Doc Created and view of other user editing document

Embedded Task 4 - Thinglink

Thinglink

My exploration of digital tools this week took me on an unfamiliar journey of how to present learning. I had never heard of Thinglink before, but feel this could be beneficial in my classroom so decided to explore it further.

I found Thinglink to be easy to use and navigate around. There are FAQ’s on the website as well as examples and various other helpful links if you would like to learn more and see examples of how it can be used. Thinglink provides you with an embed code which allows you to link your design in your Blog or Wiki which is a useful function to have for students. When uploading images, you are able to do this from your other online accounts such as Facebook and Flickr, which allows for a quicker and easier process in creating your own Thinglink. Probably one of the most useful technical features with Thinglink is the ability to follow other people and receive notifications of interactions with others and statistics on how many times your creation has been viewed. Thinglink is predominately a single author tool but there is the option for others to edit and remix your images (this function is found in settings). The only downside with Thinglink as an educational tool is the need to upgrade and pay for a version if you wish to work with your students. 

Thinglink will support my pedagogy and inspire creativity and collaboration with other students. This is an important learning outcome that I want all my students to achieve in my classes.  Thinglink could be used in a variety of ways in my Manual Arts workshop. These would range from collating images of various tools the students have used and then adding their knowledge of that tool and safety requirements (my Thinglink is an example of this), or collating images of various types of wood and adding notes about the wood and when/where it would most likely be used. With this information that the student has acquired, it would also give an option for the student to present this information when continuing on their studies to show their Recognized Prior Learning (if entering into an apprenticeship etc). This would be a useful ICT learning tool for students as it is an online collection of their knowledge that they can access and add to and ultimately create their own portfolio of knowledge that they could refer back to at any stage. It would also be a great tool for students to collaborate with other students as they can follow each other’s Thinglinks and add tags and information to their work. From a teacher’s perspective, they would be able to upload an image and ask students to view and learn from their tags already created and also ask that students to add their own tags to their work. 

SAMR Model based on Thinglink

S – Teacher uploads image of the collection of tools students are required to use
A – Teacher adds notes to each tool of its function and safety requirements
M - Students create their own Thinglink and adds additional tool images. They also tag other students work with any additional information that they may know about the tool.
R – Students follow other students and views tools that they have never seen or perhaps used before and are then able to explore that tool and use it and deepen their knowledge through comparative analysis. 

Embedded Task 3 - Images

Images

There are a number of technical features and aspects that are available to you with the use of images. Images can be edited, altered or photo shopped with numerous software packages available. These can range from free download beginner programs to professional and commercial programs that need to be purchased. Most basic editing programs feature a re-sizing option for images which ensures that photos can be uploaded and downloaded successfully and guarantees the person viewing the photos does indeed get to view them. This involves either reducing the image to a smaller size so you are not waiting for the image to upload onto the page or enlarging the image to make viewing possible.  Although I have only used the basic editing programs I have found them to be user friendly but they do involve some navigating around the program to find the various features available to you and some practice in mastering the editing features.

The use of images will inspire various learning outcomes in my classroom and support my digital pedagogy. Images will be used in my student’s portfolios/blogs where they will take photos of their project at each stage of building as a record of their progress and achievement. I would also have my students use images when brainstorming about the design of their project so they could collate images of various items and design aspects. They could then incorporate these ideas into their own project and ultimately form their own unique design. As a teacher I would incorporate images into my lessons of projects that students were building as to inspire them about their own projects and ideas. I would also use images to engage students in what I was teaching. As Andrew Fuller mentions on his website, by presenting an image in teaching, you increase the retention rate of an adolescent from 10% to 65% whilst also achieving a higher level of engagement.

An important part of my digital pedagogy will be to ensure that safe practice is maintained in using and sharing images which will apply to both myself as a teacher and also my students. This is to ensure that the correct copyright procedure is followed when using/uploading images into your work and also that you have the persons permission in using a photo. This applies examples such as taking photos of students or uploading their photos of their work. The Smartcopy website contains useful information that can be used for further reference. 

S - Students taking a photo of their finished project rather than drawing/sketching one 

A - Students collate/collect images of project ideas to gain inspiration from

M - Students can edit images of their work (or design) which will allow them to imagine what their finished project will look like by way of creating an ideology portfolio (changing colours of materials used etc)

R - Students can upload and share numerous images of their work with other students or organisation to gain ideas and inspiration from (accounts such as Flickr or Instagram)

 Before and after Image using the editing program Befunky (free download program)

Reducing and enlarging an image using Microsoft Office (free computer program)

Embedded Task 2 - Blogs

Blogs

With my exploration of Google Blogger this week, I have discovered numerous technical features that I was previously unaware about. Blog posts appear in a reverse chronological order. This is a useful feature if you are regularly following someone’s blog to avoid scrolling down to the bottom of the page to read their newest entry. Blogs are generally single author writing, this is unless you share your log in details with someone else or if you are perhaps in a group and all contribute to the blog. There is the feature for other people to add comments to your blog on their thoughts and opinions which is a great option or providing feedback. The layout of your blog can be customized to an extent. There are a variety of templates to choose from that have colours and styles that can complement your blog's theme. You are also able to change the layout of your blog with your choice of heading layout and photo display and useful information. Blogs also allow you to embed various media into your posts, ranging from photos, images, videos and links to websites. The privacy settings involve numerous different features as who can comment on your blog and whether or not you view the comment before allowing it to be posted. There is also a Privacy Policy page that details all the information that Google Blogger can do with the details you provide them. I found Blogger a very user friendly website and was able to discover various features with relative ease. I also found that with no previous experience it only took a matter of minutes to navigate my way around the website and feel confident in what I was doing.

The use of blogs in my classroom would encourage various learning outcomes that support my digital pedagogy. I would predominately have my students use a blog in an assignment/assessment situation where they would record the process they went through in constructing their desired project. I would also have my students use blogs when designing projects where they could follow and collaborate with other students in their class but also other students in other schools where they could follow each others blogs about design elements, materials to be used and different construction processes. These activities will provide a solid supportive and collaborative mentality that the students can feel comfortable in expressing their own thoughts and opinions in.

A suggestion of how I would specifically use this in an assignment/assessment situation was made aware to me when reflecting on my last years prac. My students were completing an assignment where they were to design and construct an object only using used plastic bottles and where the item created must be able to be used as a functioning/useful object. In this situation, I would ask my students at the end of each week to write about the process that they had gone through that week in the development of their project. They would be able to record changes in their thoughts on design, links to YouTube videos of projects that have been completed by others and upload photos of different ideas and go through an analysis process until they had come up with their own ultimate design.

From a teachers perspective of using ICT for learning, this would give the availability to follow each students thought process and make comments along the way to help and guide them in their decision making process at any time and not just restricted to classroom lesson time. It would also provide a detailed account of the journey taken to achieve this desired outcome which is just as important as the execution and building of the object. The students would also learn from this form of ICT as they could follow each others blogs and make suggestions to their peers as well as receive prompt feedback from the teacher. They would also have the option of following blogs of others who were concerned about environmental issues and collaborate ideas with them.

Blogs provide a good example of how using ICT for learning can be implemented into the Manual Arts teaching discipline and this is definitely a good form of digital pedagogy. To support this, I have used the SAMR model to demonstrate how blogs can be beneficial in the classroom and value add to the learning of students.  

Week 3 Reflections on Blogs, Wiki's and Websites

BLOG

Having never heard the term blog before and therefor having no idea what one was, it was described to me as an online journal/diary which had the function for other people to read and comment on. Whilst this was a new concept to me, I was able to envisage how it worked and the benefits of its functions. Once I was past the initial 'signing up' process I found navigating my way around Blogger relatively easy and user friendly and was able to find the basic features and setup of it without to much trouble.

From my basic understanding this far, blogs have a specific layout with being in reverse chronological order (newest post being read first). This is a good feature if you regularly follow someones blog rather than scrolling all the way to the bottom in order to read their latest post. I have also found you can customise the layout/design of your blog with different colours, features and themes depending with what you are blogging about. my findings have also found that there are numerous forms of media that you can embed in your blog, such as videos, photos, pictures and also the availability to linking websites. Although blogs are single author , they allow for comments to be written by other people which is convenient for feedback. I also like the idea that you can follow someones blogs and keep up to date with their writing and thoughts.

I can see the use of blogs can be integrated into  my Manual Arts discipline. Obviously this subject is  divided into a practical component coupled with a theory element to support this. My initial idea would be to have students use a blog to record all their thoughts and ideas about an assignment they were working on and the process and steps they were taking to get there. Every week they could write any new thoughts and ideas that they had about their project and process and embed photos/pictures into it and link websites where they had found similar projects. This was originally done all manually with a portfolio that would be supplied with all their workings in however a blog would allow for more information to be stored and also allow for other students and the teacher to follow their process on the way and also make suggestions.

WIKI

I found creating my own Wiki considerably more difficult than my blog. I struggled to understand the concept of it, how and why I was creating users and where I would ever use something of this nature in my classroom. The wiki task last week (deBono's Hats theory) was a good starting point for me into seeing the benefits of this form of ICT and how it worked. However it was only after watching this weeks short video (on vimeo in Moodle) that I was really able to understood how Wiki worked and the benefits of using it (although it is still very unfamiliar to me as I would pick up a phone and call someone any day over emailing them haha)

I found navigating myself around my Wiki more difficult and found it not as user friendly as my blog. Whilst I found the basic features I don't believe there is as much to customise/personalise in this as there was in Blogger (Or this could simply be my lack of skill in navigating around Wiki).  Wiki offers a multi author facility where anyone can add/edit/delete information. This information can be in the form of text, pictures/images, videos and links to websites.

Wiki could be a useful activity to use in my class when doing group assignments/class assignments and where I need students to work collaboratively on the one activity. An example of this would be if the class were collaborating together on a class project and each person (or small group) were given things to do/research etc. They could then add their information on what was needed for the project, what items had been found, links to other pages on ideas etc (I got this idea from the camping trip wiki on moodle).

WEBSITES

Out of the three online spaces investigated this week, websites is the one I am most familiar with and knowledgeable about. I have previously been part of creating my own website for my business. Whilst I was not the person building the website I was a part of the layout, structure and editing of it.

I am unsure how I would use this in the classroom. My only thoughts are to have this as a 'go to' website for students when it came to assignments etc. As the teacher I could upload criteria sheets, task descriptions, referencing guides, manuals, explanation videos etc that the students could access whenever they needed to. This could also eliminate any excuses on students losing any required paperwork.