A Series of Reflections: The Synopsis

I have looked at the following digital learning tools: Blogs, Wikis, websites, audio, images, videos, Power Point, Prezis, Glogsters (yeah that’s a thing), and a wide selection of simulations and interactives. I have discussed in depth: Blogs, videos, Prezis, and the interactive; Google Docs, as well as my thoughts on De Bono’s Thinking Hats. All of which have contributed to the end product- this. No pressure…

Throughout this learning journey I have discovered just how E-learning can transform education and support classroom engagement. Incorporating a digital pedagogy can make learning creative, fun and colourful where it was once black and white text, accompanied with sore eyes and a sore hand from copying too much from the whiteboard- the possibilities are endless. This concept, I have found, provides options to a once limited and very linear learning journey. A journey we, as teachers, can choose to augment and finally be able to cater for the multitude of diverse learners we will all inevitably encounter throughout our teaching careers.

Upon reflection of my own experiences I have benefited from all of the new experiences, in that I feel I have been able to familiarise myself with a world my students will already be immersed in. A world where Blogging and creating websites, I assume is the ‘norm’. I am happy to have been able to brush up on my Power Point skills and learn about some completely new presentation options including Prezi Presentations which are so much fun to create. I see myself using them often and encouraging my business students to use them also as you may have learnt from “A series of reflections: prezi presentations”. I feel like I now have this new habit as a result of completing this assessment item; and that is having the need to play with settings and investigate what this button does and what that toggle changes. I have learnt many new things from programs I use on a day to day basis but have never fully made use of- as it turn out word is much more convenient than I first thought. I hope through incorporating more ICTs into my classrooms that I might be able to instil the same habit and enjoyment in using such learning tools, as it might make learning a little easier and more inviting for my students.

As for the drawbacks regarding this learning experience, well there is the one I mentioned in the previous post- regarding a repetitive criteria from the weeks two until five which limited the opportunities for an involved commenting presence. But I don’t believe that would have been an issue had the tasks been more diverse (eg, the difference between task one and two). Another drawback might be the demand for a submission each week. To safely receive a four/four your submission had around 600-800 words when most assignments for other courses give four to six weeks for a 1500 word assignment, it was slightly inconvenient. However I learnt some very valuable lessons about cyber safety, and now have a wonderful arsenal of tips and inspiration regarding the creativity of my future lessons.

With a strong digital foundation derived from key concepts selected from three crucial models and frameworks which are:

• De Bono’s Thinking Hats- this concept is designed to aid in the development of perspective thinking which is beneficial in creating an informed decision. This is done through applying the six thinking hats and answering the question with that particular thinking hat’s mindset
• The SAMR model- the letters of which stand for the levels of learning evolution that digital technologies surmount to; substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition.
• Bloom’s Taxonomy- this refers to a series of terms which indicate the level of content knowledge a student has through their ability to demonstrate certain skills.

We can then begin to exercise the unlimited potential that the digital world provides us with and greatly increase the learning opportunities we can give our students- learning opportunities with which they can use to reach their highest potential. However to safely make use of E-learning in the classroom it is important to be aware of the risks. Such risks may include; exposure to inappropriate material, physical danger, cyber-bullying, and privacy issues. I have learnt throughout this course that when investigating new learning tools one should consider its safety precautions. To combat such risks in my own teaching career I have compiled a check list of considerations for myself to consult when considering the use of a new digital learning tool, it is as follows:

• What sort of safety precautions does the program have? 
• Is there password protection? 
• Can it be used offline? 
• Are there privacy settings?
• Is the program prone to pop-ups? 
• Does the website promote inappropriate advertisements?
• Who can the content be edited by?
• If bullying occurs by other students or strangers can it be resolved via a blocking option or a history/archives feature with which to consult?

If the answers to these questions satisfy my school's policies and my own and also align with the aforementioned frameworks and models then theoretically I can incorporate almost any new ICTs into my future pedagogy. My students will hopefully as a result of my learning not be held back in this quickly growing digital world.

A Series of Reflections: The End

As the first assessment piece for EDSE12024 comes to a close, I find myself more prepared for the teaching world. This experience has shown me the many benefits and heightened learning outcomes of which can be the product of “collaborative learning”. For example, though I have learnt plenty throughout my own research and investigation in the effort to produce our weekly reflections, this assessment piece has provided the opportunity for subject mastery in that I may also learn from other’s Blogs. I say this because while we were only required choose from a selection of learning tools each week, we did not all chose the same ones. As a result of both this and the section of criteria which encourages us to comment on each other’s work, I have learnt about many different learning tools- tools that I cannot wait to embed into my own pedagogies. These facts demonstrate the potential for learning such exercises can have when in the hands of our students.

While this experience has been valuable and enlightening, unfortunately I was not able to absorb as much as I might have were the commenting or online discussions more involved. I found that for the most part well thought out comments were posted, however were only rarely replied to. This may have limited our collaborative learning gains slightly. In regards to my own involvement I believe I made around nine comments on a selection of student Blogs, and the only replies I got were consistently along the lines of: “thanks, I agree” -to which I struggled to reply to. This may have been a result of us all having just discussed the same thing. While differing in topic the thinking “lens” or criteria of considerations were the same for the last four parts of assessment piece one, and therefore limited the amount of relevant things we could comment on. Due to the standard of completion it was also hard to add to anyone’s posts via comment, further limiting a serious online presence in the form of commenting and discussion.

The same cannot be said for in class discussion though as it is purely sharing ideas and possible considerations for the responses due each week. This allows for ease when it comes to contribution or involvement as during these times we are in construction mode and there is work yet to be done. I believe this brainstorming and contribution of ideas to create, answer a question, or generally work towards a common goal physically in class, translates to online collaboration as well. This is where I feel our students would gain the most, not through commenting on the end result. Through my own contribution and the observation of others, I feel that this is the area in which online learning and opportunity for discussion can become as involved as this course intended us to be in our own trials. As most opportunities for learning are created in the dialogue, the conversation, the problem solving or not solving (Morrison, 2012) rather than in the observation of the end result- though learning may still occur here in the form of evaluation and improvement. 

I envision myself encouraging online learning through a platform much like Blogger, where students share assessment ideas and help each other out towards both their own independent submissions and their group ones. Rather than incorporating such a collaborative tools into the actual assignment allowing for the viewing of each others work and in turn the opportunity for plagiarism and potential feelings of inadequacy when others can’t help but compare the quality of the submissions.

So to conclude, and for your ease of viewing:

E-learning advantages

• Heightened employability (see my comment) -teacher
• Heightened ability to provide diverse learning opportunities for students (see previous comment) -teacher
• Greater opportunity for subject mastery -teacher and student
• Team building and opportunity for better staff/student relations -teacher and student
• The opportunity for the inclusion of more creative and diverse methods in the production of works -teacher and student

You may find some similarities upon consulting Weimer’s (2013) five things students can learn through group work:

1. They can learn content, as in master the material
2. They can learn content at those deeper levels we equate with understanding
3. They can learn how groups function productively
4. They can learn why groups make better decisions than individuals
5. They can learn to how work with others

E-learning disadvantages:

• Opportunity for cyber bullying or editing with a malicious intent (see my comment) -teacher and student
• Participating in E-learning inhibits the development of handwritten writing skills such as grammar, editing, punctuation, as most e-learning tools and platforms do this thinking for you. Consider the importance of such skills for state and national exams and competitions which are still handwritten -students

References:

Morrison, D. (2012). Online groups – cooperative or collaborative. Retrieved from: https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/online-groups-cooperative-or-collaborative/

Weimer, M. (2013). Five things students can learn through group work. Retrieved from: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/five-things-students-can-learn-through-group-work/