WOW… Is what came to mind after watching this video for myself. I was flicking through other fellow blogger’s postings and came across this very interesting video on Victoria’s Page. The video has been put together exceptionally well as it grips the viewer from start to finish with the use of selected accommodating sounds and pictures. The author of the video is basically showing us how teaching has changed over the years and throughout history. What hit me the most was the author adding dramatically,
“As teachers we will be preparing students for a technological world which is rapidly changing. We are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been developed.”
Overall this video has really inspired me and I hope it does get other people thinking and inspired as well. What I also discovered was that I really need to incorporate technology into my teaching, not just because we are obligated to as teachers in the primary sector but for the reason that it is vitally important to the future and success of our students. I do however sometimes feel a slight chill at the thought of whether or not I’m technically capable of doing so but I know that I will strive to keeping myself updated in new developments and new technological advancements which can be used to create a perfect learning environment for my all my students.
In this piece it uses the idea of building a sand castle as a playing tool, however the idea of the child still learning whilst building and playing creates an interesting challenge for Harel and other interactive creators out there in the internet world. To be able to create an online environment where children can play but also intellectually build certain things would be very useful and add further advantages to children using technology.
Harel mentions “Constructionist Learning” which is a theory pioneers by Seymour Papert. Harel states that constructionism holds that children learn best when they are in the active roles of designer and constructor. Papert further adds, “The idea that this happens especially felicitously in a context in which the learner is consciously engaged in constructing a public entity, whether it’s a sand castle on the beach or a theory of the universe.
There are however limitations and so Harel explores ways in which technology can be used to capture this idea of constructivist learning. I saw that Sarah Baker, a fellow student in my class read the article as well and concluded it perfectly by saying, “The internet provides an endless learning environment where children can explore, express and share their learning experiences with a global audience. The internet can provide this ‘open-ended’ play children love, learn from and truly engage in.”
The video above on “Interactive Whiteboards” proved very informative as I found myself unfamiliar with the idea of how such a technological tool could be implemented into a classroom. The video discusses both the positives and negatives to interactive whiteboards which is important to hear as this tells the viewer that it is therefore unbiased.
Some interesting research which was shown was that overall, interactive whiteboards targeted and improved:
Ø Pace of lessons,
Ø Student Engagement,
Ø Student Motivation, and
Ø Teacher preparation.
I was also amazed to learn that almost half of England’s schools where equipped with interactive whiteboards. I found this amazing and felt in a way very old and out dated as the idea of these technologic tools seemed very advanced and modern. Teachers are highly creative and have the ability to create materials to collaborate and share with students and with the use of the board they can go beyond the text book which has proven to be a lot more engaging for students.
Even though the video also gives a few bad points about the use of interactive whiteboards, I believe that once again it comes down to the user/teacher and they have the power to either use this piece of technology to their advantage, thus creating an enhanced learning environment for their students. Yet on the other hand if this tool is used improperly and without preparation then it can be said to be a waste. What I mainly like about this tool is the engagement gained by students. After the countless articles and research been done, it is transparent that students learn better from interactivity which makes this tool highly useful and appropriate to be added to the classroom.
What an interesting article!! Every day there are new web pages being posted up on the internet. I myself find it extremely hard to sift through all the irrelevant material provided online to locate exactly what I was looking for. WebDilemma’s provides a short cut and enables the teacher to save valuable time in class by providing direct links to relevant information to certain topics.
I found that the design of a WebDiemma very interesting as the website:
Ø Presents a question to the reader,
Ø Provides links to other relevant sites for both sides of the dilemma,
Ø Teaches viewer to use the information provided to their advantage and think about the question being posed for both options,
Ø Pair up and discuss their view amongst their peers and as a class.
This method I found very interesting. WebDilemma’s could be one of the first interactive websites in which its uses are “intellectually challenged”, “engaged”, “enforce students to apply higher order thinking skills” and are “supported and guided” throughout the dilemma.
I believe and agree that the WebDilemma concept is a great and useful way in which challenges are made at the student, requiring them to think on their own whilst also encouraging them to acknowledge other opinions.
This article was what I believe ‘Edutainment’ to be all about. For those of you who do not know it, Edutainment is the word created to define education that is entertaining, which often incorporates technology. The author of the article expresses exactly how I feel technology and teaching can come together to improve learning by all students in every classroom. The article poses the question which has often been debated: “Why are some students disengaged and do not listen in class?” After reading this article it seems it is a very simple question to answer.
The article goes on to discuss how children as young as year 2 have been brought up using technologies such as computers, video games, gaming consoles and other technologies in their every day lives. Students often feel school is boring and this is rightfully so if one was to compare school to their after hours activities. A way which this disengagement can be avoided is if teachers can create classrooms where students look forward to their learning, for example learning about geography with the use of Google earth and other online software available.
Not only does engaging the student help in their understanding of what is being taught but also “if students are engaged in their learning and if they are interested and actively involved, potential management problems will be reduced” (Brady & Scully, 2005). Thus engaging the students in the work that is set for them you would surely find less disruptions occurring and there would also be less chance of disengagement by students.
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