#esc407

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WEEK 2 - TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS AND CLASSROOMS

Week 2 - Technology in Schools and Classrooms

[ Posted Sunday 17th November 2019 ]

As a learner myself, I find the use of technology very advantageous and engaging. In lectures at university, I enjoy being able to type my notes and keep up with what the lecturer is saying. However, in my experiences as a teacher, I have seen both the advantages and disadvantages of technology in the classroom and believe there is a balance that needs to be upheld. The integration of technology into lessons aids student engagement, and when students are actively engaged in the content, they are learning. But on the flip side, I have also observed students be distracted by the technology and not be engaged in the lesson. Technology needs to be used in moderation but also purposefully. Teachers need to remember that the content is what the students need to learn and that technology is a vehicle to aid learning. In my future classroom, I will definitely incorporate technology in as many purposeful ways as possible, but I will also incorporate hands-on activities and provide authentic learning experiences for my students.

[teeganesc407-blog]

WEEK 2 - DIGITAL NATIVE VERSUS DIGITAL IMMIGRANT

Week 2 - Why Do We Include Technology in the Classroom?

[ Posted Saturday 16th November 2019 ]

Digital Native Versus Digital Immigrant

When I think back to my early years in primary school, I remember having at least one computer in every classroom since Kindergarten in 2004. I enjoy using technology and I love keeping up to date with the latest devices and software, thus I would definitely classify myself as a Digital Native. However, this stereotype of the technological divide between younger and older educators needs to be taken with a grain of salt. During my placements, I have observed many older educators use technology with ease and who have shown an eagerness to learn more about how they can adapt their teaching to incorporate technology. As a teacher myself, I would like to be constantly aware of allowing all students an opportunity to use technology in class and not make it a necessity to complete any out of school tasks. A need for technology to complete tasks outside of school can show a socio-economic divide between students and families. Technology use in schools need to be ethical, purposeful and mindful.

[teeganesc407-blog]

WEEK ONE

Week One - Technology and Teaching Standards

[ Posted Monday 11th November 2019 ]

Issues Shaping Today’s Technology Uses in Education

1)    Accountability and the standards movement

2)    Funding for educational technology

3)    The Digital Divide

4)    Fears about technology misuses

5)    The role of distance education

6)    Privacy and safety

7)    Malware, viruses, spam and hacking

8)    Online plagiarism

9)    Racial and gender equality

10) 21st century technology skills

Activity 1: 21st Century Education

1)    Greg Whitby claims that the focus on technology is a "waste of time". He says, "If you focus on the technology, you ignore the central problem and the central issue."  What do you think he means by this, and to what extent do you agree? Why do you think we focus on the technology? I agree with Greg Whitby and his comments regarding a focus on educational technology to an extent. However, I thoroughly disagree with his sentiment that a focus on technology is a waste of time. Teachers and schools have shown that educational technology can be used in the classroom to their advantage. I agree that we often get caught up in the glamour and desire of having the latest devices and newest technologies and that this behaviour is often detrimental. Before adding new and improved technologies into the classroom, we need to ensure that all teachers are providing quality teaching. Teachers are, and should always be, the focus not the technologies. Teachers need to be trained in how to use these technologies rather than just throwing them into the deep end with new technologies. I think we tend to focus on the technology as a quick solution to the problems within our schools rather than addressing the teaching problems.

Further Comments and Responses:

I sincerely believe that to provide quality teaching and learning in the 21st century, teachers need to adapting with technology. The technologies available to us are here to help not hinder our abilities. In my opinion, a balanced approach to teaching is needed – we can’t use technology for 100% of our activities but we can’t not use technology at all. It’s a fine line that we need walk as educators. We also need to be weary of the technologies that we introduce. Teachers should make time to trial any software or devices themselves before introducing them to students. With so many apps and software readily available, we need to sort out what’s worth the time in the classroom and what isn’t. Technology will be able to further our teaching and learning opportunities in our 21st century classrooms.

[teeganesc407-blog]

WHO AM I?

WHO AM I? [ Posted Thursday 7th November 2019 - trying to get ahead! ]

Who am I? What a daunting question. My name is Teegan. I am 21 years old. I live in Wagga Wagga. I love to read and I love to use technology (just like most people my age!). I use my phone and my laptop numerous times daily and you can catch me on almost every social media site. But surely there’s more to technology than just likes and retweets? Over the coming weeks of Session 3, this blog will be filled with my discoveries regarding how technology can be used in the classroom.

I’m currently in my third year of my Bachelor of Education (K-12) at Charles Sturt University. As part of my degree, I am taking the subject ESC407 - Classroom Technologies, which has required me to set up this blog for the duration of the subject.

During my degree, I’ve been on numerous placements. The one that stands out the most for me was my most recent as an independent religious school that relies heavily on technology. Whilst on this placement, I was using technology and teaching students from all over New South Wales whilst I was on the Wagga campus. This experience with new technology opened my eyes and made me realise that technology can be used in so many different ways for educational purposes. It was this experience that made me want to take this subject and expand my skillset and knowledge. 

I feel that I am quite competent with technology and I pick up new devices and software usually with ease. I am very familiar with the Apple range of software but I am very interested in learning more about how iPads, especially, can be used in the classroom and for education. I have had a lot of experience with students using laptops in the classroom but not so much with iPads. I would also love to learn more about software that is accessible from any device that could aid teaching and learning. As a future teacher, I strongly believe that we need to use technology to our advantage and keep up to date with updates to make our teaching practices of a higher quality. It is with this subject that I aim to do this. 

[benita-rowe]

[benita-rowe]

On TPACK…

In Step 2 of the Technology Integration Planning (TIP) model, Roblyer and Doering (2014) underline the importance of assessing the 'TechPACK'. This involves assessing the 'who' (content knowledge), followed by the 'what' (technological knowledge) and the 'how' (pedagogical knowledge). I personally prefer using the TPAC assessment for Step 2. The TPAC assessment stipulates that the choice of technology should be guided by the 'what' (content knowledge) and the 'how' (pedagogy) within the boundaries of local context. Here is an example of how I use TPAC when integrating technology into the curriculum.

While both the TechPACK and TPAC assessments focus on curriculum and pedagogy (both important), TechPACK does not place enough emphasis on the importance of taking the local context - or the equitable selection of technology - into consideration (also important). More information about why this is essential in the Australian context here and here.

This is a partial re-post. Read the full article in its original form here.  

Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. (2014). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching: International Edition, 6th Edition, Pearson.

[benita-rowe]

On student safety and privacy...

The use of Web 2.0 tools such as social media can assist students in learning how to communicate information online while interacting with each other, developing their information literacy and soft skills. Tumblr is an ideal tool to engage students in subject matter and extend their “Internet world [ICT competencies] beyond their first language” (Godwin Jones in Stanley, 2013, p. 121). It does, however, present challenges in terms of preventing students from accessing inappropriate materials and maintaining a student safe environment.

I am preparing a unit at the moment which involves using Tumblr in the context of a BYOD program. The first step was to set up a class Tumblr with a password protected login to protect the students’ identities and allow both myself and the students to upload and embed photos, sound bites and videos, run a real-time historical role play with post-level commenting and organize content with hashtags. The Tumblr can be accessed here (password esc407). It includes an ask feature for students to post questions anonymously, a submit feature for the students to post their writing samples without requiring a Tumblr account of their own (both features can be enabled in the Tumblr control panel under ‘Settings’) and a resources page with links to information relevant to the unit. Most importantly, the class Tumblr and all associated features (submit feature, ask feature etc.) have been made available through a separate URL (listed in the Tumblr control panel under ‘Settings’). I can give the students access to the class Tumblr via a link or a link embedded in a QR code. The advantage of sharing access to the site via the separate URL is that the students do not need to enter the Tumblr site, open a Tumblr account or download the Tumblr app to access the course material, blocking advertising and unsavory content while allowing the students to interact with each other in a safe, social online environment. Problem solved!

This is a partial re-post. Read the full article in its original form here.  

Stanley, G. (2013). Language Learning with Technology: Ideas for Integrating Technology in the Classroom (Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers). Cambridge University Press.

[benita-rowe]

On developing and using web-based resources

The potential... Web-based learning activities provide an opportunity for students to how to communicate and collaborate responsibly in an increasingly digital world (see Roblyer & Doering, 2014).  Particularly in rural and regional areas of Australia, web-based learning activities have the potential to provide students with resources and ‘virtual’ excursions or experiences that may not have otherwise have been accessible to them.

The catch... One of the main barriers to implementing web-based learning activities is access to digital services. Recent research conducted by the University of Technology, Melbourne, found that while federal initiatives such as the roll-out of the National Broadband Network have increased access to digital services, the affordability gap is widening and disadvantage is frequently geographical, tied to location and place (Thomas, Barraket, Ewing, MacDonald, Mundell and Tucker, 2016). For students with average or advanced socio-economic backgrounds, digital services are becoming increasingly affordable for both themselves and the schools they attend.  Low-income families face a higher proportionate cost relative to their income and an estimated sixty percent of these students attend under-resourced schools (Nous Group, 2011). Keeping in mind that the benefits that web-based learning can offer are not as accessible for disadvantaged students, teachers and school communities need to actively find opportunities to do more with less (more on how that can be achieved here, here, here, here and here).

I am preparing a unit at the moment which involves using web-based resources in the context of a BYOD program. The unit can be accessed here – comments (either on the blog or directly in the Google Doc) are welcome.

This is a partial re-post. Read the full article in its original form here.