Online learning activity:

http://econtent.thelearningfederation.edu.au/ec/viewing/L768/index.html

This activity encourages students to use collaborative learning skills, whilst being able to effectively implicate mathmatical techniques.

 

Students buy and sell fish in trading markets in a range of Australian and New Zealand cities. They compare market prices, get to know other traders and use supply and demand to find the best deals and discover new markets. The aim is to acquire a rare fish and maximise profit and reputation as a smart trader. This is the more challenging of a series of two objects.

·         Students identify opportunities for profitable trading.

·         Students estimate market value by comparing supply and demand.

·         Students explore the value of networking to identify market opportunities.

 

The learning object:

·         Students operate a business in an international environment

·         Students review business options and make decisions to increase profitability.

·         The pace and variety of trading opportunities encourages active engagement.

·         Students search for a rare, prized fish.

·         There is an option to print a summary of business outcomes.

 This activity recquires students to use their knowledge on money, and trade and essentially make a profit from buying and selling fish.

This activity is a value tool, and and exceptional online-activity as it’s visual, and encourages independent, and group learning.

It’s fun, appealing, and facilitates well for the mathematics syllabus!

Overall, i had a GREAT time playing the game myself- the inner child in me went on a rampage- and i would definately use this digital game in the classroom!

Take a look yourself, it’s fabulous!

Thank you Joe, for the wonderful experience, i’ve thoroughly enjoyed our tutorials, and hope to see you again in the future!

All the best,

Anna Vardas

 

Week 5, 2009: Wikis and collaborative learning

 

 

 

The article ‘Teacher Pedagogical Beliefs: The Final Frontier in Our Quest for Technology Integration?’ by Peggy Ertmer, appears to sum up the meanings behind the integration of ICT in the previous four readings. I found that all four readings linked directly to teacher pedagogical beliefs as an explanation of why even with resources at the tips of our fingers, technology is still not being used as an effective learning tool. Niederhauser and Stoddart suggested, “teachers use technology in ways that are consistent with their personal beliefs about curriculum and social practice. If technology is presented as a tool for enacting student-centred curricula, teachers with teacher centred beliefs are less likely to use the tools advocated and rather use technology for activities that they are comfortable with”. This makes logical sense. On a daily basis I find it hard to step out of my comfort zone and use my cookware to make anything different for a number of factors such as time, laziness and failure and that’s only cooking something new! So technology if not presented in a way that’s appealing eg: not daunting, impossible and can be a lot of fun not to mention assist your student’s in reaching their potential through the integration into all subject areas, can just reinforce already existing beliefs. In order to change beliefs we need to go back to the core of how they were formed to begin with. Most beliefs are formed through personal experiences, vicarious experiences and socio-cultural influences. It can then be fair to say that beliefs could be changed through experience. New positive, “ beliefs follow successful practise, and competence and confidence are foundational to achieving that success, so at the very least competence and confidence must be built before changes to beliefs can be expected”. Whilst I believe it’s possible to change existing beliefs, I do not believe it’s likely to happen with the existing teachers of today in regards to implementing technology however I do think the future is looking brighter with students of today having access and training to competently use technology when they are teaching in the classroom.

Full integration of computers in the classroom is a distant goal (Marcinkiewicz, 93.) Teachers are hindering the progress of students in the progression of using technology to learn ‘with’ at school. Etmer argues that fear and control have more influence over us and ICT than the opportunity to overcome this and enhance technology in the classrooms significantly. If teachers do not believe that ICT can work in a classroom and be used for effective learning then they will not use it!

In other words students miss out on technology if a teacher has had bad experiences with ICT. We need to conquer these beliefs so that we understand that the value of ICT is important to students learning as this is the way of the future. Obviously as i keep saying, it should not overpower the classroom activities but it needs to become apart of it as it will be useful to students in the future, plus students love using them! We need a healthy balance between ICT and teaching. And we need to be comfortable with our uses of ICT as a teacher, why not let the students teach you a bit about it as well!

 

Week four, 2009: e-Learning styles and learning styles- WebQuests

In this workshop we came to understand how a webquest operates and understood that a webquest is “an inquire-orientated activity in which most or all the information that learners interact with comes from the resourves onf the internet.”

I learnt that webquests’ provide a structured approach that focuses on having students use web-based resources rather than finding them. This also advantages teachers and students as it is less time consuming.

I also understood that webquests are not simply a set of disjointed activies. It is designed to support learners’ high order thinking including, analysing, synthesising and evaluating. However, Webquests are not suitable for all types of learning situations as they don’t provide a hands-on or physical learning environment.

 

 

 

Week three, 2009: Blogging & Web 2.0

 

A brief commentary about how kids, digital learners, living in the 21st century are creating mass culture through the use of web 2.0 tools/social networking, etc. created at animoto.com

Found on YouTube; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fu4vmiXxwc. Accessed on March 17th 2009

 

 

  

SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS WEEKS READING:

Jonassen’s article presents to its readers a new idea of using “Mindtools” (computers tools) in learning for engaging critical thinking and representing knowledge. “Mindtools” is broken up into five smaller ways of promoting learning; Semantic, Dynamic Modelling, Information Interpretation, Knowledge Construction and Conversation Tools, which all help learners to interpret and organize their own knowledge. Arguing that the good use of a computer as “Mindtools” is limited by its user (or teacher in this context), which sounds like a realistic and familiar argument which should help teachers in their classrooms to be better facilitators.

 

Semantic networking programs are computer-based, visualizing tools for developing representations of semantic networks in memory. So to my understanding, they’re like concept maps and interactive databases that can make it easier to represent and track information. A very handy tool indeed, and returning to his major point, these tools would be useless, even for digital natives without someone to direct them for the best way to use them, and to provide them with the topic or information they are representing.

He divides the computing tools (or Mind Tools, as he refers to them) into Semantic, Dynamic modelling, Information interpretation, Knowledge construction and Conversation
tools.

Dynamic modelling is almost the science of the mindtools. These are the tools that explore relationships and allow you to test things in an artificial environment. It does things that you can do in real life (mostly) only quicker and allows you to try a couple of different things rather that just having to stick to one option. These include spreadsheets (excel, numbers), expert systems which are your AI templates that allow you to problem solve easily. System model tools which allow you to piece things together and can show you tangible relationships between the variables. It is my understanding that microworlds are what video games take their base from! Interactive worlds in which people can test theories with the laws that you can create in the program (ie. test gravity etc.).

Information interpretation tools are visualisation tools, which are used mainly to convey mental images or to learn in a visual way.

Jonassen obviously has a cognitive, constructivist view of learning, which I agree with, as he says things like learners as designers and puts a strong emphasis on the process of learning rather than the outcome.

in summary:

1. Teachers are still important, however, they need to accept roles as facilitators rather than the fount of knowledge
2. Through his long and detailed list, there are lots of good mindtools out there that will enhance learning more than just a stupid software game. (Which I agree with, though it’s sometimes hard to come up with such lesson ideas!)
3. These mindtools need not be expensive!
4. Learning is more effective through the process of manipulating and scaffolding knowledge together rather than it being dumped on you. (As I have a cognitive/humanistic approach to teaching and learning, I agree that the process is far more meaningful if you are completely involved in it and have the ability to manipulate, visualise and discuss your findings.

 

 

 

 

 

Week two, 2009 social constructivist theory

 

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“How does the social constructivist theory relate to ICT learning experiences?”

 

Although constructivism has many definitions, according to Kamii (1985) it is “the theory according to which each child builds his own knowledge from the inside through his own mental activity, in interaction with the environment.” Essentialy, the child can build on their prior knowledge through interaction with the environment. Knowledge is not passively received, but is actively built up by the cognisising subject.

 

Constructivist learning promotes the importance of process, the exchange of differing points of view, and and emphasis on problem solving. Constructivist learning effectively promotes participation and it is through interaction with ICT experiences, the students can learn to negotiate, share and evaluate. Problem solving- encourages students to reason and to communicate Social interaction is necessary for knowledge construction and active learning. Within constructivism, autonomy is promoted-“the ability to govern oneself by taking relevant factors into account.” It also promotes high order thinking skills within various ICT experiences such as social networking, communication, online activities,  and essentially allows discovery based learning; such as websites/ web quests.

 

 

Week one, 2009 ‘Digital Natives’ debate

 

The Link for my inspiration map on the ‘Digital Natives’ article:

 

 

The Digital Natives Debate- Some discussion points from this weeks reading

 Marc Prensky’s article on Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants is very relevant to todays society. The article reveals the differences between those who are (Digital Natives) those who have been brought up in an ever changing technological world and (Digital Immigrants) those entering this world, trying to adapt to the digital world.

 Although many of us may feel like we are quite up there with the digital age and would be close to natives one has to remember that the world of technology is constantly evolving. When one thinks about the advancements to technology in even the last ten years it can be overwhelming. Mp3s are now Mp4s, digital top set boxes are going to be compulsory, DVD is being replaced with Blu-ray disks and those changes are the ones that have been happening in the last year or two. Every generation is being born into a world with vastly different technologies to the last and for one to believe that through out their whole life they will be able to keep up with the ever-changing technology is a hard thought.

Children and becoming experts of their technology at a much younger age; Students have been immersed into technology throughout their lives permeating them with sophisticated computer and technical skills. Students are Living lives immersed in technology.

Technology is essentially more accessible, and the nature of education must fundamentally change to accommodate the skills and interests of the technologically advanced generation.

Digital natives are active experimental learners, multitaskers and are dependent on communication technologies: “…Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach” Prensky 2001

 

Teachers need to facilitate for the intellectual, social, motivational and emotional needs of the new generation and some high profile commentators are arguing for radical changes in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and professional development in education.

 

The debate is based on this claim: Education must change to meet the needs of these ‘digital natives’, as they have a particular learning preference and learning style that differs from earlier generations of students.