Assignment 1 - Reflection 3 - Week 4

Well, I start this week a little disappointed,  I logged on, went straight to my wikispace and was certain I would see additional discussion points on the Positive, Minus & Interesting points on Blogs....BUT.....no.... nata.... nothing. This was a great learning experience for me - I now know what to expect from my students - don't expect anything - they just may not be interested in the wikispace as much as I am. So with this in mind what I do know for sure is:

So, now that I have your attention are you ready to learn?

I can understand the belief that 'student video production include affective, metacognitive, higher order thinking, communication and presentation, literacy, organisation and teamwork and moviemaking skill development' are all great outcomes of MovieMaker as an ICT. However, I did find that I spent a considerable amount of 'time wasting' on the project.  Not to mention the time on technical support line at at CQ University, as the computer at the University did not have the required software.  Would I use this in an Accounting lesson? No. Why? Because I do not believe this is the best way to achieve learning gains. But, I do reserve the right to change my mind when I complete my Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching.

Students today are asked to balance a number of different activities and classroom learning has to compete with part-time jobs, extra-curricular activities, sporting and life/family commitments. Therefore, what we as teachers do in the classroom needs to engage students and empower them to become partners in their own learning. But how?

The answer, engage in meaningful, productive, interactive learning through ICT's.

I know from personal experience that finding time to keep updated with changes in taxation legislation was increasingly difficult. Reading materials was time consuming and mostly by the time they went to print, had significant changes. To overcome this I subscribed to various taxation podcasts - this allowed me to access information that I downloaded from the Internet onto a portable device and listen to whilst 'on the go' - mostly while driving, waiting at the dentist/doctors or mowing lawn.

For anyone new to Podcasting, this is for you:

Podcasts can allow classroom lessons to be recorded. The benefit of recording lessons or providing overviews of lessons enables students to:

• Revise topics if they are struggling.
• Allows self conscious students to ask or admit that they are unable to grasp the concepts being taught, after reviewing the materials provided on the podcast.
• Catch up on a lesson missed, due to illness.
• Assist with revision or examination preparation.
• Assist students with reading difficulties (dyslexia).

And all this can occur whilst students are 'on the go' and 'out and about'.

Podcasts are a brilliant way of ensuring all students are included. Podcasting is one of the latest technological ways for Secondary Schools to provide easily accessible access to information for students to listen to if they are regularly absent from school due to physical impairment and/or undergoing medical treatment. The Disability Standards for Education 2005, Queensland Government and Department of Education and Training all emphasise that, students that have a disability have the right to education on the same basis as a student without a disability.

Utilising podcasts I can create a collaborative learning environment by asking students to prepare podcasts on topics that they find interesting, or request them to summarise topics for inclusion on the class's wikispace. By requesting students to create podcasts, it provides them with an opportunity to think about the topic and create a prolific, well thought out, succinct response - a highly regarded skill in the accounting profession.  

Whilst I was a student I was fortunate to be employed part time with an accounting firm, as a Trainee Accountant. Through this I gained valuable insight into the vast difference between what is taught in Secondary School/University and the 'real world'. While the basics are invaluable and scaffold your knowledge to begin your professional career and this cannot be overlooked in the learning environment. I would like to provide students with the opportunity to extend their knowledge and bridge the gap between school, university and employment and give them a 'taste of reality'. How can I do this? Podcasts. Taxpayers Australia Limited provide weekly tax wrap podcasts that highlight important issues to current issues in tax and super that they provide in 'light-hearted banter presented in a structured yet relaxed format'. 

Podcast do have limitations:

• Without visual images it is easy to become distracted with things that are occurring around you.
• If the person delivering the podcast has a monotone voice or  recording with 'white noise' then you can easily find yourself 'zoning out'.
• If recordings are available of the classrooms lessons students may become disruptive as they can become reliant on knowing they can access the information at a later date.
• Access to podcasts can be an issue if there is unreliable Internet connections - downloading can become time consuming.
• Podcasts are not easy to search and can be time consuming.
• Production of podcasts can become time consuming.  
• Cannot be linked in a blog as a media file.

Last week we looked at a blog through the SAMR Model. Please review last weeks blog Assignment 1 - Reflection 2 - Week 3 for a detailed overview of the SAMR Model.

SAMR Model and Podcasts:

SUBSTITUTION:
Rather than listen to an ATO update on DVD the class would listen to a podcast.

AUGMENTATION:
Search online for a podcast and listen to it in the classroom.

MODIFICATION:
Students subscribe to a podcast on a weekly basis, download and listen to each week.

REDEFINITION:
Students create plan, prepare and present a podcast on a weekly basis as a reflection tool and post on a wikispace as an examination reflection tool.

As the old saying goes:

Please head over to my wikispace for a PMI on Podcasts and include your thoughts.

I also spent a considerable amount of time preparing, practicing, recording and then rerecording a podcast in Audacity to enlighten you all with the one of the three principle objectives of accounting.  Audacity was very user friendly with excellent online tutorials.  However, due to technical issues (unreliable Internet - yes I can blame cyclone Marcia) my podcast would not initially load onto my wikispace.  This was frustrating and disappointing but when technology goes wrong - what do we as teachers have as a backup?  I did fortunately have a backup and drove to Yeppoon to use my mothers Internet.

The postcast is available for your listening on my wikispace as it is unable to be included into this blog. Enjoy the podcast.

Through ICT's in the classroom I have the ability to engage students in more creative and exciting ways. Although, I do need to be careful of any copyright laws when using text, images, videos and music. Teachers do have educational exceptions in the Copyright Act and it is important to understand what this actually entails.  Smartcopying - The Official Guide to Copyright Issues for Australian Schools and TAFE is an excellent website to grasp what is acceptable and not acceptable.

In this digital age I am very cautious of the information that is available about me on the Internet and for that reason have chosen not to upload any photographs of myself. I do have a Facebook page and regularly check the Internet on what is available when associated with my name. I am aware that each school that I attend during my practical experience will have a media policy in relation to students photographs being taken and used for assignments/classwork. I cannot stress enough to those who will become teachers - please make sure you understand what you are able to do with the students as a breach of this could potentially put a students life in danger. Check immediately before it goes online - a lot can change in one day.

This week has been very interesting and my view on ITC's is swaying - especially considering my technical issues. Within the classroom fellow students and I have been discussing YouTube videos we have been watching in other subjects with a common theme about engagement. A point that is frequently arising is the concept of making learning fun to ensure engagement with students. While it is our overall aim as teachers to achieve learning gains are we really preparing our students for life after school if everything we teach them has to be fun?

The teaching journey continues.

JRay.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Taxpayers Australia Limited website:  www.taxpayer.com.au
     Latest podcast:  Episode 19 - Everything you need to know about Single Touch Payroll (so far)

Podcasting FAQ:
     Podcasting tools:  resource for podcasting

Movie Maker:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/movie-maker/id1441476546?mt=12

Copyrighting - An Educational Resource:
http://www.smartcopying.edu.au

REFERENCES:

Tax Wrap Podcast.  Accessed: 30/03/2015.  Retrieved from:
http://www.taxpayer.com.au/Publications/Tax-Wrap-Podcast

Digital Tool 2:  Digital Video.  Accessed: 30/03/2015.  Retrieved from:
https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=15642

Digital Tool 5:  Podcasting.  Accessed: 30/03/2015.  Retrieved from:
https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=15461

Digital Tool 4:  Images.  Accessed:  30/03/2015.  Retrieved from:
https://mooodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=15640

All Images:  Google Source

All Video:  Made by JRay

Assignment 1 - Reflection 2 - Week 3

The 13th of March 2003 is an important date to remember, it's the date opponent players frantically search the updated version of the Oxford English Dictionary (online of course) and be enlightened (or frustrated) to find the word blog along with following meaning:

I have often thought about establishing a blog to share with my friends and family the adventures I have taken and projects I have started, (some never finished), but just never got around to it. That is, until I enrolled in the Graduate Diploma of Learning and Teaching. Now, I'm hooked on blogs!

Establishing a blog is a relatively simple process and with a small investment of time to consider your topic, your audience and layout/presentation you are underway. I have included the instructions here for BlogSpot. I really do stress, read the instructions and the blogger content policy carefully as an incorrect selection could cause your "Private Blog" to be viewable to anyone on the Internet, or removed from the Internet.

I personally like free blogging sites (I like anything free) when compared to a paid hosted site, although there are some limitations that do need to be taken into account when establishing a blog. If you have time and patience your blog can be customised to include a relevant background and an interesting style. I do believe, however it is the contents of your blog that will keep readers coming back and the background image/style will simply....fade away into the background.

Within your blog you have freedom to include pictures and videos, either self-created or sourced from the Internet. Links to other websites/blogs also allows your reader to further examine a topic if more clarification is required. Using any type of media/resource within your blog please remember to adhere to the copyright policies, referencing and blogging sites rules. Editing, amending or deleting the blog is a simple process even once the blog has been published.

Knowing your reader is important, what will keep your reader engaged? While readers can comment and ask questions it's impossible to respond to each comment as a discussion thread. In a blog you are portraying a one sided argument and interaction is limited. Blogs are also posted in chronological order with oldest on the bottom. Although I believe a good blog should allow the reader to be able start from any point and still understand the topic being discussed - rather than having to scroll through a number of blogs to find the starting point.

Now most of you are wondering where the scrabble reference comes in. When I was in secondary school, computers and online resources were not as readily available, so my english/geography teacher allowed us to play Scrabble as board games were very 'in'.

Mrs Robertson believed that learning could be fun and always included a game of Scrabble and it was incorporated seamlessly into the content being studied. We were encouraged play words relating to the topics, so long as we provided a brief explanation on how the word related to the topic. The game sometimes went on for over a month and was very competitive.

Did this engage me?...Yes. Did I retain the knowledge and store it in my long term memory?...Yes. Did she understand me as a learner?...Yes - most definitely and the most disruptive person was quiet and attentive (it may have been me). Brilliant behaviour management, I say.

Today I do not think the same could work. I as a teacher will need to think outside the box on ways to get the 21st Century learner to engage within my areas of teaching Accounting and Legal Studies.  

I do know for certain, it would include digital technology.... would it include a blog? To answer this, I am going to look at how blogs could be used at each of the SAMR levels:

The Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model is a method of analysing how a blog (digital technology) can impact on teaching and learning. The most important concept to remember is the level of student engagement, ability to transform learning experiences and achieve higher learning gains.

SUBSTITUTION:  In the classroom - Assignment
Use a blog as a replacement for handwritten/typed then printed assignment. The comment function would be turned off. The blog has acted as a direct substitute, with no functional change.

AUGMENTATION:   In the classroom - Assignment
I would use a blog for both students and parents. They can subscribe by email to receive classroom updates, lesson plans and homework assignments. 

Students would also use blogs to create assignments that include embedded videos, hyperlinks and audio to enhance their written work. I would allow the students to review their peers work and recommend them to leave constructive, supportive comments after the assignment has been completed.  The blog has acted as a direct tool substitute, with functional improvement.

MODIFICATION: In the classroom - Assignment
I would set assignments and review the students work while they are in the progress, I would also allow students to comment on each other's work. Students would include hyperlinked writing to connect and evidence their thinking to the topic enhancing their understanding. This is evidence of non-linear writing. The blog has allowed for significant task redesign.

REDEFINITION:  In the classroom: - Current legal issue featuring heavily in the media. I would like to tailor lesson plans with the curriculum based on updates, court transcripts and media releases. 

The blog becomes an extension of communication by reflecting on content, sharing resources and receiving feedback. It becomes a documented evidence of learning. The blog becomes an extension of the classroom environment and is used for students to share how conclusions are reached or additional materials that helped them understand a topic with peers.  

The blog can be continually updated with the student's notes and real life examples and in essence becomes a revision page in preparation for an exam.   The blog has allowed for the creation of new tasks.

Would I include a blog into the classroom? Yes, however, I will also be considering if I could trust the students to respect the schools policies in relation to internet and behaviour.   
I should know my learners and trust that they respect the rules before undertaking any digital activity. I would ensure that I continually monitor the content for any breaches and act promptly when the guidelines are ignored. Furthermore, it is undeniable that "blogging requires higher-order thinking skills such as the ability to evaluate and synthesise"  (Hourigan, 2010)

Overall, blogs can be used as a digital tool to engage students. I have created a wikispace where I have utilised the thinking tool of a PMI to see what the Positive, Minus and Interesting points of a blog are, please join the discussion and add to the list. I will be interested to see your thoughts, and a learning curve for me as the account has no restrictions on who can post....Mistake as a teacher?... Let's see.

Enjoying the journey getting to know your learner?
JRay.

FURTHER EVIDENCE TO INTRODUCE A BLOG AS A LEARNING TOOL:
Using blogs to help language students to develop reflective learning strategies: Towards a pedagogical framework. Link 


REFERENCES:

All Images:  Google Source

Collins Oxford Dictionary.  Accessed 20/03/2015.  Retrieved from:
http://public.oed.com/the-oed-today/recent-updates-to-the-oed/previous-updates/march-2003-update/#oos

Hourigan, T., Murray, L. (2010) Using blogs to help language students to develop reflective learning strategies: Towards a pedagogical framework. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology: v26 no. 2 (2010). Accessed 20/03/2015.  Retrieved from:
http://ascilite.org.au/ajet/submission/index.php/AJET/article/view/1091

Working legally, safely and ethically online:  the issues.  Accessed 21/03/2015. Retrieved from:
https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=15620

What is a blog?, how is it used? Accessed 22/03/2015. Retrieved from:
https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=15628

Assignment 1 - Reflection 1 - Week 2

It is more than likely that most reading this blog would have grown up in a school environment where mobile phones either didn't exist or were banned from the classroom.  If I asked you to think about the topic of mobile phone use in the classroom, would most of your responses be like this? 

Am I right?  You are not alone.  I instinctively thought "why are educators giving students another device to disconnect from their peers by allowing mobile phones to be used in the classroom?"  My opinion was firm...or so I thought.

My initial response of no, was before I embarked on the journey to become a Secondary School Teacher and was asked to evaluate the topic of mobile phone use within the classroom using de Bono's Hats and a wikispace and then reflect upon the learning activity.  The activity required including my responses into each hat area on a wiki. I was required to select a group which had no more than six participants. 

I had never heard of Edward de Bono's six thinking hats nor did I understand what a wikispace was.  This led me on a digital age journey of discovery utilising the learning theory connectivism. I Googled, accessed YouTube, browsed Wikipedia and Edward de Bono's website for an in depth understanding.  I can now confidently say that through these resources, I understand.

What are Edward de Bono's six thinking hats?  It is a tool that requires you to think about a topic using a particular coloured hat.  Each hat has a different focus as illustrated below.

What is a wiki? "A wiki is an application, typically a web application, which allowing collaborative, modification, extension, or deletion of its content and structure." (Wikipedia)

This type of learning activity fitted in with the social constructivism learning theory - it allows social interaction.  I was able to view other participants responses to ensure I was on the right track before I entered my responses - I was silently 'bouncing ideas'.  This ensured other participants that were more knowledgeable than me scaffolded my learning.  I was conscious that I did not copy answers, I wanted to think of different ideas for each of the coloured hats.  I wanted to add to the collaborative process.  I knew that as long as my idea fitted in with the concept of the hat colour I could not be wrong....no matter how 'left field' my idea was.

Edward de Bono summed it up perfectly by stating that "the main restriction on thinking is ego defense...the hats allow us to think and say without risking our egos." (de Bono 1985) 

However, a word of warning there are some issues that could present a problem:

If I did not fully comprehend the topic and participation is compulsory then I could cheat or summarise another participants response.

Due to the high number of participants in the Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning Course it was inevitable that double ups would occur.

Solution for a classroom situation:  ask students to present an original idea.  If their idea is already there, then  encourage them to think of another.  This would ensure deep knowledge though higher order thinking.

One of the most frustrating things that could occur when editing the wiki - your original work, your brilliant idea, your defining moment could be lost. The wikispace is self monitored and at times messy and if others are editing the page at the same time your work could be deleted by accident.  Deleting participants responses could also be deliberate.

I am lucky that I was familiar with the 'undo button' function, as I copied my answers right over the top of another students.  I could have had a lot of explaining to do!

Solution for a classroom situation:  write down your thoughts first in a word processing document, then cut and paste your responses.  This would ensure that the whole process is owned, controlled and managed by the students.

A huge drawback in utilising this activity in a classroom situation would be that it's very time consuming.  I am sure as a teacher I would be filtering the student's responses to ensure that the students responses were legal, safe, ethical and adhered to the schools policy guidelines.

I certainly know I would not like to be known as 'that' teacher that missed something that could potentially be putting the students at risk or worse get me fired!

In participation of this weeks reflection activity I found myself questioning if using de Bono's hats and a wikispace achieved all the eight pedagogical principles.  Yes, all eight could be achieved. If you would like know more or refresh your memory on the eight principles click here.

However, my view is that teaching is more than just checking off a list of principles.  Teaching is about finding information on how your students learn best and connect with them.  It's understanding if an activity planned would best suit them as a learner and achieve learning gains.  If this type of activity would not work, then it's up to me as a teacher to find another activity that would.

Personally, I would like to utilise de Bono's thinking hats and a wiki within the accounting and legal studies subjects.  I see it giving that one shy person a voice and to get students think 'outside the box', knowing there is no right or wrong answer.  But...I have said it before and I will say it again...GET TO KNOW YOUR LEARNER.

Now, I challenge you to rethink your answer on the topic of mobile phone use in the classroom using de Bono's hats and a wiki.  Will your initial response change?  Mine did!

Thank you for enjoying my journey.
JRay.

FURTHER INFORMATION:

If you are interested in the field of creative and lateral thinking, visit Edward de Bono's website.  Link 

Eight pedagogical principles. Link

REFERENCES:

de Bono, E. (1985). Six Thinking Hats. Cox & Wyman, Great Britain: Penguin Group

A Brief Overview of Learning Theory.  Accessed 16/03/2015. Retrieved from:

https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=15608

What is Pedagogy?  What is Digital Pedagogy?  Accessed 17/03/2015.  Retrieved from:

https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?ed=15618

Working legally, safely and ethically online:  the issues.  Accessed 18/03/2015. Retrieved from:

https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/mod/page/view.php?id=15620

All Images:  Google Source

Wikipedia.  Accessed 15/03/2015. Retrieved from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki

Week 1 Reflection #1: Which is best?

I’m not going to lie this is my first attempt at a blog and yes it scares me...but that is because it's new, different and unknown.  Don’t get me wrong I have subscribed to many blogs and enjoyed the often one-sided view that they present.  This challenges my way of thinking, and at times has the ability to change my opinion.

As a pre-service teacher I am finding the resources that are presented in each of the class materials give me more in site on developing my way of becoming an effective teacher.  My area of interest is student behavior and how often the misbehavior of a student can be wrongly identified as a "condition" to be "simply" treated with medication.  In a study conducted by The University of Sydney over a four-year period it found children aged between 10-14 had the most rapid increase in percentages for prescribing antidepressant and antipsychotics and ADHD medications.http://anp.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/06/12/0004867414538675.

With this in mind Dr Judy Wills presents a highly important message for me as a teacher in the Edutopia Webinar "How the Brain Learns Best: Strategies to Make Learning Stick.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMZnfFD1maU

“Get to Know your Learner”:

A student will engage in reflective learning rather than reactive learning if the information is received into the prefrontal cortex of the brain “the thinking brain”.  For this to occur it first must pass through two systems:

The Reticular Activating System:

Students are exposed to thousands of pieces of information; the brain cannot handle all of this information.   Therefore, for the information to be received by the RAS stress must be reduced for the information to be passed through to the Amygdala.

Amygdala:

By reducing boredom, frustration and stress the Flight (oppositional/defiant), Flight (ADHD), Freeze (OCD/Social Anxious Syndrome) behaviors are able to be managed thereby allowing the information to be filtered into the “thinking brain”.

 

In the article Brain Imagery Supports the Idea of Diverse Intelligences Grace Rubenstein also refers to Dr Judy Willis by stating that “educators can achieve a lot just by designing lessons that appeal to multiple senses. She suggests that teachers lead a child into a new subject through his particular strengths and interests. Once he's engaged, a teacher can challenge him to use a different, weaker skill set for another part of the lesson, helping him develop those parts of his brain.”

Teaching is not about going in with a predetermined idea or manner, it’s about adapting and changing to certain behaviors and ability levels and then presenting what the students need to know in methods that they are able to comprehend.  By being able to present information in a non-threatening, exciting and engaging manner, behavior management issues that are occurring may reduced and in turn the student can thrive.  This will take time to implement, as you need to get to know your learner. 

With students of today, in most cases are more up to date with the advancements in technologies and have a heightened interest in them than their teachers.  Information Communication Technologies (ITC) are becoming an effective tool to engage students in a lesson.  If teachers are able to implement ITC’s I believe we are bridging the gap and have another highly important learning mechanism at our disposal in order to manage the behaviors of students.

With the information presented by both Rubenstein and Willis the traditional classroom and the curriculum needs to be changed as we GET TO KNOW YOUR LEARNER!  How.....well put very simply, again.... GET TO KNOW YOUR LEARNER, then adapt and change to what you are presented with.

Now that I have an understanding of my learner and how the brain functions to enable the "thinking brain" to be able to recall and utilise information that has been learnt lets move into the different learning theories by example:

Behaviourism:  
Imagine a maze and at the end of that maze is food, now add a mouse.  What is likely outcome?
If the mouse has been subjected to the maze before he will know there is food as a reward at the end.
This behaviour is learned through conditioning.

Cognitivism:
I ask students to refer to the Financial Statements for ABC Pty Ltd?  If you were familiar with accounting terminology you would understand that this is a report that comprises of a lot of different documents... But, if you are a dancer do you care about the Financial Statements of ABC Pty Ltd? would you remember that the names of the documents that make up the Financial Statements of ABC Pty Ltd?.....probably not as this information is not important to you and therefore, has not been stored in your long term memory.

Social Constructivism:
In a group environment, there is a mixture of student abilities.  When presented with a topic some students may know a little and some may know alot.  By working together with the support of a teacher (as we know everything about our selected teaching areas) and "bouncing" ideas can help students consolidate their knowledge or take a limited understanding to a new level. 

Connectivism:
If you do not understand a topic what do you do, you use the Internet "google it", open up Wikipedia (although this may not be the most reliable source of information...it at times provides and interesting read), read blog posting comments..... and then all of a sudden that light bulb goes on and it starts to make sense, you understand it.

If we take away all threats to our learning, by reducing stress, make lessons fun, exciting and engaging and allowing information to be filtered from the RAS to the amygdala and combine this with our learning theories above which will best inform successful learning approaches?  I believe that this is a combination of three: Cognitivism, Social Constructivism and Connectivism as first you need to have an interest in the topic and if you find a student does not, can you engage them in a way that will.  If you can, then students usually engage you in a conversation with peers about the topic, then if they want to expand their knowledge then engage in Connectivism.



Hope you have enjoyed my blog.

JRay.