Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been significantly developed over the last decades. Its innovation has impacted on educational settings as well. Some problems are found on this movement; most of teachers are digital immigrants who are forced to adopt new technologies (Prensky, 2001), and the lack of knowledge of ICTs causes a difficulty in promoting student engagement (Prensky, 2001). However, teachers are expected to be specialists in creating instructional designs rather than digital experts. This synopsis examines how I as the teacher will select pedagogical designs for the appropriate use of ICTs.
A current movement feature of ICTs is the huge dominance of web 2.0 technologies. This explains how web-based applications enable us to take online opportunities such as knowledge sharing and contributing to knowledge creation with other users (Margaryan & Littlejohn, 2008).
Lein (n.d.) states that constructivist approach enables learners to engage in the active learning process. Theory Intro Practice (n.d.) describes how constructivism allows both educators and learners to establish a collaborative relationship, which consequently leads to scaffolding in the class room learning. The main key elements of this theory suggest that students can learn with others, including the teacher as a modeling of learning.
Students’ learning needs are diverse and many of web 2.0 applications require contact with many people. Therefore I consider the evaluation which is based on constructivism theory is the best way to shape ideas for use of ICTs for a classroom context.
As for e-learning designing, both the big six theory and the engagement theory frame learning processes and they help educators to design learning experiences using ICTs. The big six theory states the six processes which are; task definition, information seeking strategies, location and access, use of information, synthesis and evaluation (Eisenberg, 2001). The engagement theory states that student learning engagement is more likely to occur when technologies support in their learning (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 1999). Given that learning experiences in classroom occur at various stages, I believe adopting the big six theory gives the learning more flexibility, because it does not require students to follow from the first step to the sixth step while providing a few pedagogical ideas each of the six definitions. For these reasons, I will look at each of the applications we used during this course based on constructivism as well as the big six theory.
Utilizing blog in the classroom was examined first. A blogger is able to develop any particular ideas with a collaboration of personal learning network using the comment function. Therefore, its strength can be explained by the way that blogging forges a pathway of learning journey and it helps the students to engage in the independent work and have supports from others. A weakness is that the quality of creation of deep knowledge depends on how the author reflects comments written by blog visitors.
On the other hand, the characteristics of wikis are also closely related to collaboration of others. Wikis provide some more co-editing options for more than one author of the same wiki page to participate in online activities such as observing, sharing information and openness. These functions easily allow students to work with others in a problem-based or project-based curriculum regardless of where they are. The down side of using wikis might occur when people are not collaborative towards a particular work without the third person’s supervision.
Weebly is also suitable for education. Weebly, Inc (2010) explains that it is possible to launch the web and use your own domains while it provides secure online environment for students to use. These functions are suitable in a school context, where student privacy must be protected. Weebly offers group-driven activities and this application can greatly support for the students in their their homework task. It might be difficult to improve the students’ attainment if they are not familiar with weebly features such as making contents and videos to be uploaded.
Those writing applications help students connect people together to work on new knowledge creation, which also makes it possible to enhance the life-long learning wherever they are and whatever the purpose of the learning is. In addition, the openness of the applications accelerates the developing of knowledge which fosters higher-order thinking. Especially, blog seems convenient due to its easy steps for getting started as well as its function to accept comments that are developing into discussions. This aspect connects to constructivism and I put value on it. Blog can fit with many learning designs as well. Information seeking skill and accessing information skill to help in writing a posting are fostered through blogging. After publishing a blog post, the author can reflect by reading posted comments from world-wide audience. As for safety use, wiki and weebly are more suitable choices for education because of their co-editing functions. The teacher can show classroom guidelines first and the students can follow and add more contents to class websites during activities with others, which is highly related with constructivism.
After I explored the online writing-based applications, I learned how digital tools would be able to bring benefits to classroom learning. These tools are also available for the students to learn effectively, which leads to the increased level of the pedagogical thinking in both critical and creative ways.
When teaching style has a link with the integrated approach, the use of microsoft PowerPoint gives the students advantages. First, PowerPoint application is easily found on the computer. Next, it can stimulate the students to create slides that include texts, images, sounds, charts (ACT360 Media Ltd, n.d.). Those features facilitate the students’ learning achievement that will lead to integration with audience once a presentation is organised. The students are able to consider the structure adjustment of presentation itself. Furthermore, some more effects such as colourfulness or sound can be regarded as enhancements on a presentation. Although Power Point slides are easily edited by the teacher, the teacher needs to be familiar with its usefulness.
Prezi Inc (2010) also provides an audience-centered presentation with its feature of emphasizing details. This will help an audience to remember contexts of a presentation. Blackboard Inc (2010) introduces their online tool that simplifies the structure of lessons that will also cater to the preference of over 40 per cent of students who would like to learn online rather than non-technologically involved learning.
Amongst Power Point, Perzi and Blackboard, PowerPoint seems the most powerful tool. These three empower presentation opportunities, including ease of editing with others which can foster abilities for planning for story delivery and this can be presented in the best way for the audience. This also contributes to higher-order thinking. Although the other two applications look at the possibility to enhance the students’ motivation to learn as twenty-first century learners, it is difficult to use the two applications in terms of peer-integration for students to develop ideas, because those are more teacher-centered. Besides, PowerPoint slides can be checked by the teacher anytime. This means that the teacher can check students’ works from the legal point of view as well as suitableness to use them for educational purposes.
Next to be looked at is learning engagement. I experienced using digital images from Flicker first. It creates many opportunities to upload photos for either public or private use. Some photos are ready to be used by everyone; therefore, those images prompt the creation of visually-interactive learning materials. For example, this feature also permits the students to locate those images in their research program, which will also enhance learning engagement with a visual effect for catching attention. (Illinois Education and Technology Conference, n.d.).
Using audio ICTs can also support engagement. Podcast is an option to use for positive reinforcement of listening. As this is audio, visual-impaired learners can make use of it. Additionally, a positive effect is seen when brainstorming themes and ideas (Shelly, n.d.). Next, Schuck & Kearney (2004) state creating movies brings benefits in student-centred learning, keeping motivation and engagement. As for this technology, MovieMaker or iMovie are commonly used. Movie creation also raises communication skills which are acquired in a number of collaborative works with others as well as problem-based learning experiences (Schuck & Kearney, 2004). Lastly, Youtube has been providing opportunities for sharing videos through a function of social networking. Those videos can help students to have interests in learning, which can be applied for any subject curriculum (Karimi, 2006).
Amongst these engagement technologies, movie creation is more likely to develop the learning scaffolding in a peer-interactive group work like preparing a presentation. However, Flicker, Podcast and Youtube as educational tools can elicit work in group activities and created files are easily uploaded as components onto blog, Wiki and Weebly. Therefore, I consider the devices can be useful for task definition, use information and evaluation (Eisenberg, 2001).
Overall, blog, Wiki, Weebly enlighten a lifelong learner and all the other ICTs are appropriate to support task definitions as well as catering to different needs from various types learning styles such as visual, oral, social learners and visual-impaired learners. For the safe use of ICTs, the teacher has to play an important role in showing ethical guidelines by taking into consideration issues arising from school policy and classroom policy (Department of Education, 2010), otherwise the teacher cannot protect the students in case their use of materials is illegal.
In conclusion, many schools have already agreed to make the incorporation of ICT into education while the students also expect effective integration of ICTs. The students are standing on a new stage where becoming a technologically person is not valued. They are required to be “global citizens through collaboration across local, national and international borders” (Aldred, 2010). This can be achieved through a series of processes or phases which contains supportive ideas, organising information, or planning solutions (Aldred, 2010). Hence, the goal as being a global citizen is not achieved without interaction with others. This is why team-oriented activities or collaboration with class cohorts must be taken into consideration for the students to use ICT applications in classrooms.
References
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