another summary

When reviewing the Essential Learnings for ICT, across all grade levels, it is found to be the only one that does not include ways of working and a knowledge and understanding focus. Rather, in the Essential learnings, it deals with Inquiring, Creating, Communicating and Operating the technology. In every year level there is a strong focus on the Ethics and responsibilities of ICT. To quote the essentials: “Students understand the role and impact of ICTs in society. They develop and apply ethical, safe and responsible practices when working with ICTs in online and stand-alone environments.”
From this it can be seen that ICT is a method for gaining knowledge and understanding, rather than a discipline in itself.

The new learning focus is on the ability to find information rather than remember it. It is better to know where (and how) to look for something, than to try to remember the details of everything. The ability to quickly access information is important, as is the ability to decide whether the information is pertinent and trustworthy. Technology opens up a world of information, but an overriding concern is the veracity of that information. This requires students to analyse perspectives, one of the 8 complex reasoning processes described in the dimensions of learning.

In the dimensions of learning DoL 1 the focus is on attitudes and perceptions. Productive Pedagogies also emphasizes the important of learner engagement. Many frameworks insist on learning that is real world in its nature. Kearsley and Schniederman (1999) also emphasise the importance of engaging the learner. Many of the technologies covered in this course certainly do that. It is suggested that in this emerging knowledge and creativity based economy, the ability to use and function effectively using this technology is advantageous.

In studies on the use of these new technologies, it was discovered that “the more creative teams were those that perceived that their tasks required high levels of creativity, were working on jobs with high task interdependence, were high on shared goals, valued participative problem-solving, and had a climate supportive of creativity.” (Gilson, Shalley 2004)

This also links to the current pedagogical trend to promote cooperative and collaborative learning, as a way of the future.

Learning with technology does not simply deal with computers, but a whole range of digital devices such as cameras, voice recorders, mp3/4 players and one that is becoming more prevalent, the interactive white board (and derivations of it). When gathering information, cameras and voice recorders allow a scene to be photographed and described, for more effective viewing and detailed analysis at a later date. Podcasting allows information to be viewed at leisure.

A concept of particular interest is that of digital nativity. Most primary aged students have grown up using this new technology. For the older generation, it appears that there is an accent that is due to unfamiliarity with the processes. As the learning model has shifted from teacher centric to collaborative and cooperative learning, this accent, whilst noticeable, should not hinder the learning of either party. It is a given that success breeds success. In a classroom setting, the fact that the students may be able to show the teacher how to do something may increase the students’ self confidence and esteem, an important part of many resiliency frameworks.

As the specifics of ICT are not in the description of it, but rather its use in allowing learning in other KLA’s , the possibilities for its uses are nearly endless. For researching and questioning people from around the globe, it is without compare. Skype allows face to face contact with anyone who has access to a computer (depending on timezones). If students are researching another country, communicating with students in that country will provide real time opinions and experience. If the communication is well orchestrated, the learning is for both sides of the discussion.

A disadvantage that the author has experienced is the lack of this technology in any of the schools that he has ever done practicums in. The most working computers he has ever seen in one classroom is 4. This was for a class of 23. He has seen an interactive whiteboard in action once. At his local school (where his wife is Head of Special Ed.) the BER funding has allowed for the construction of a new hall which will eventually contain 32 computers in a computer laboratory. Unfortunately the funding ran out before they were able to buy computers to fill the lab with. Also this year all classrooms in the school have been given interactive whiteboards.

There are several tools which the author will endeavor to use in his classroom, where ever that may be. In no particular order they are:

Podcasts/ Podcasting. See blog post from 10/8/2009 and 2/8/2010. Podcasts are advantageous in that they allow listening/ viewing at any time, through very common equipment. In constructing one, they engage the students in decisions about content, audience, scripting, and many other English essentials. As there are thousands of podcasts available on Itunes, many made by students from around the globe, the content available is enormous.

Digital Recording Equipment. See blog post 2/8/2010 from Digital recording equipment streamlines the gathering and analysis of information for further investigation. Its use also allows for a large variety of presentation methods: videos; podcasts; webpages; as well as the more traditional ones like posters and pamphletts. This relates to several frameworks by engaging the learners in real world authentic experiences.

Blogging. See blog post from 18/10/2009 Blogging is: reading and writing; a conversation; communication with a larger audience; about applicable to every subject; and a portfolio of learning, work, thoughts, feelings,and life. As a means of sharing information and communication, blogging provides many educational benefits. Linking to the English essentials, the writer must identify the target audience and work out how best to get their message across. As all Ict is based on communicating in a multiliterate way, and due to the fact that there is a hope that what is produced will be observed, there may be an intrinsic motivation in producing a blog.
Email. Email is the basic method of communication on the web. Students need to know how to find information and communicate that information. The telephone reduced the art of letter writing, emailing may encourage its uptake. Because the communication is instantaneous, and there is a record of it, it is a very useful tool for students to master. As much business is conducted by email in modern times, there is another link to real world authentic tasks. There are many links relating to this: 11/8/2010;

Movie making/ animation. This is an engaging topic for students of all ages. I have not had too much success at it myself, but I am aware of the many possibilities that it presents. Several of my friends who are already teachers, use movie making and animation extensively in their classrooms. A friend of mine; who I once drove boats for, has won an Oscar for animation (David Denneen, Leisure, 1976). I have had several discussions with him as to how he thinks animation may be used in the classroom. The advances in software make this easier to achieve. I must spend more time with them so they can better train me, however. Further evidence of this is the 4 hours I spent trying to turn a PowerPoint into a movie, without success.

Interactive whiteboards. Due to their interactive nature, these devices align well with the cooperative and collaborative learning scenario. Whilst I have only ever seen one in action, and seen the “clip on” one that Wendy brought in last year, discussions with people who use them point to them allowing a lot of useful teaching/ learning. One point to note is ergonomics. Apparently many have been installed at a height that precludes younger learners from reaching much of the board. A use that springs to mind from my own perspective is the display and manipulation of such interactions as the Moon, the Earth, and the Sun. whilst researching for a science unit last year I found many things that worked on the interactive white board. Unfortunately we didn’t have one. As they become more prevalent in schools, there will be more training in the use of them, and more applications that will work with them.

To sum up, whilst I may be a technological dinosaur, I believe that much of the technology is extremely useful, and for that reason I am quite happy to plod along and learn to use it. I am conscious of my incompetence, and am working to remedy that.