I believe this tool could become a very useful tool for the future as there are many projects that are kept to a minimal size.
Also in the past, when trying to send an image via email, if the image is too small sometimes the image will not send. Therefore, this could become very useful.
The following is a PMI (plus, minus, interesting) of a website (Weebly) create and the opportunities and threats the website can create.
Plus:
allows students to access new information
Could be used to differentiate activities for all levels of learners
Good scaffolding by using tabs/pages as weeks of the term allowing students to view content prior to class lessons and or work behind/ahead (differentiation)
Easy to design for all years of learners K/12
Able to upload images and some other forms of media
Can upload video, image and audio on to a website
Easy to navigate
Layout is changeable
Creativity up to individual students
Supports engaging with multi-modal and multi-literacy texts
Minus:
Privacy (No password access)
Limited access to functions without paying for pro
global distribution
Once its up on the internet it will always be
Availability in Schools (Firewalls)
Will not age well (Constant updating)
Interesting:
Privacy, as you can set the website to only let people who have the website address to view the website.
Through my
participation on the wiki activities I have found that wiki’s can provide an
appropriate online collaboration tool for a range of different students.
However, without appropriate scaffolding a wiki can seem a little useless. Providing
students with a blank wiki page will not allow students to fully understand
what is required. Scaffolds are provided as a
learning support for students. As a future learning manager I will aim to
gradually removed the scaffolds as learners become more self directed and
confident. De Bono’s six thinking hats were used as a scaffolding tool to
address the question: should mobile devices be used in the classroom? This was
a great scaffold tool as it allowed us to answer an array of questions/topics.The only slight issue I found with the six
thinking hats was that we did not arrive at a conclusion. However, every
student who wished to have a say had an equal input, and each student could
then draw their own conclusion. As each student uploaded their input it
allowed the wiki to instantly become an online documented reference. The wiki activities drew on many learning theories through the use of
appropriate scaffolding: De Bono’s six thinking hats. Behaviourism can be
identified, the learning manager can view all the changes made to the wiki. Through
the use of a wiki, the learning manager can offer students positive reinforcement. The learning manager can view the student changes through the history. This allows students to reshape what they have learned through
the process.
Constructivism was a predominate theory used throughout the six thinking
hats wiki. As students, we drew on our own past experiences and knowledge, and
were able to share this knowledge and experience through the appropriate
scaffolding provided.
I have made many wikis for different subjects throughout my time at uni. Here is my wiki experimenting for E-learning http://shonaselearning.wikispaces.com/home. On this wiki, I have also added my movie and a link to my PowerPoint created for another course. If scaffolded correctly, a wiki is a great tool that I can see myself using in my classroom as a future learning manager. However, there are also many elements that are lowlights of a wiki. The following is a SWOT (Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) of using a wiki. Strengths:
Allows all students to collaborate online
Teachers can view the students interaction
Scaffolding for student assessment makes all students participate and become exposed to online ICT
Specific learning of topics when scaffolded correctly
Weaknesses:
When two people are editing the same wiki at the same time, one is deleted or edited over.
Technology is sometimes unreliable and can fail
In a classroom when a whole class is trying to access the wiki, the system can overlaod and cause the site to freeze
If students do not have acess to the internet at home becomes hard to interact as a group
Opportunities:
If deleted information can be found in the history section
Students become familiar with ICT's
Can add several pages for different topics
Can add videos and images
Becomes an online prof and copy of student work
Threats:
Becomes an online resources that anyone can view unless put in private
Students or teachers need to be careful of copyright when posting images and videos
After reading the set readings on moodle and watching the youtube clip, I was able to get a better understanding of what TPACK is. So, what is TPACK? Well TPACK stands for Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge. To understand this framework, there is a need to first realise that teaching is a highly complex activity that draws on many kinds of knowledge (Mishra and Koehler, 2006).
The framework first began with acknowledging the importance of knowing subject content, and pedagogical knowledge. It than made a shift, Shulman (1986) explained that "having knowledge of subject matter and general pedagogical strategies, though necessary, was not sufficient for capturing the knowledge of good teachers". Therefore, for teachers to be successful they need to use both forms of knowledge, simultaneously.
As the framework continued to develop, the inclusion of technology became an important aspect also.
Many problems that arise from technology is the tendency to only look at the technology and NOT how it is being used. To successfully use this framework, teachers or learning teachers, like myself, need to learn how to use technology appropriately to support learning. The framework emphasizes the connections, interactions, affordances, and constraints between content, pedagogy, and technology. As the climate of all classrooms are changing into the 21st centuray classroom, rather than treating these forms as separate bodies of knowledge, this model emphasises the importance of using all three forms of knowledge together (Mishra and Koehler, 2006).
This model relates to learning environments; making teachers aware of the imporantce of technology. In the classroom, a teacher can use technology to make their lessons engaing for the students, and develop their thinking in ways that interest them.
From todays tute lesson, I was able to get a better understanding of many things, one being the assessment 2. From my understandings the assignment is: - Assessment 1000wrds knowledge of learning theory, frameworks - blog - REFLECTIVE SYNOPSIS: 5 compulsory reflections: wiki activity, one of a group of tools, good things, bad things etc. - TPACK and Blooms - Link to weekly reflections
Knowing the key parts of the assessment will allow be to better prepare and understand what is required. This also allows me to see what I need to require more knowledge in to allow me to sufficently answer the task. As noted above, one of the key parts of the assessment is reflecting on theory and frameworks, one being TPACK.
Another part of todays tute involved Wendy explaining this more in depth. I also have to read the readings on this, to fill in the gaps. I first needed to understand what this stood for. TPACK- Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge.
We looked at a model on TPACK: inspired writing walkthrough guide.
This is my understanding by looking at the model.
-Start here! Know your content (CONTENT) -Master the strategies, know how to teach it
(PEDAGOGY) -Master the technology and able to support use by
both students and staff (21st CENTURY TECHNOLOGY) -Engagement in the classroom using technology
activities -Use of technology to enhance exploration of
content -End up here! Take all of
the above and see how you can do it best. Masterful 21st century
classroom focused on essential learnings, applying good learning theory
supported by technology. -Note: content is ways of thinking
Also from todays tute we talked about productive pedogogies. Being a third year, there is a bit I already know about this area. However, I am still not overly confident with the theory behind it. I do believe, I am able to implement and create some pedogogy that fits many of the criteria in the classroom. Wendy expressed to us that there are important points to remember about productive pedogogies.
Productive pedagogy:
1.Needs
to be complex: students need to think in complex ways. Wendy explained that ICT
can do this if you use it in a smart way.
2.Connect
to student interests eg. mobile phones
3.Needs
to be supported: scaffold learning, take risks
Important to think about the
pedagogy in simple terms to support what your learning with students.
After the tute with Wendy today, we were spilt into two groups. I was put into Zelina's group; the N-Z group. In this hour session we were directed into doing the wiki on mobile phones in the classroom. We encountered a huge problem when trying to add in our ideas as only one person can edit the site at a time. This ment, everytime someone saved their ideas, they would save over other ideas. I was aware of this from a previous course, as we had the same problem when meeting for groups work. Zelina directed us to do our wiki entries at home to eliminate this problem.
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