e-learning

Thank you for your advice and comments. You are absolutely right about the time issue. I’m also glad you mentioned that “If the software is too difficult to pick up the first time then you shouldn’t bother using it. Software interfaces have evolved over time and the things we do daily such like using cell phones, online banking, shopping at Amazon, these things did not require any training.”

I totally agree with your comment that “we in education need a system-wide seamless interface providing teachers with self-explanatory production tools. We need a turn key system.”

Thank you again.

The 6 C’s of motivation is a great article, well worth reading. I enjoyed reading this aricle and would encourage others to do so as well.

The article describes the tools to incease and enhance students motivation as Choice, Challenge, Control, Collaboration, Constructing meaning and Consequences. All of which are somewhat self explainitory, however does offer a caution in relation to Choice and Control…one which I totally agree with…. there is a fine line between too much choice and just enough to create motivation… Given too much choice, will  “lead to increased anxiety.” The article uses the senaario of a year 10 class to show the integration of the the 6 C’s, however, I believe these are also appropriate strategies for (and can be adapted to) students in primary schools.

I’ve just read your posting regarding ‘guidance and time’, as opposed to ‘training and support‘. The wikki course you linked to your blog appeared to be a useful tool for self motivated people, who are willing to take responsibility for their own learning. I agree, we do need guidance and TIME, but also feel for some a little training and support would go a long way.

In relation to the illusivness of TIME… I must admit, we tend to be able to find TIME for anything we deem inportant.

I Read your post on IWB’s Melissa, and watched the debate you provided. I totally agree that this technology can be limited by the user, hopefully, with more training and experience tools can be used as authentic learning tools in the classroom setting.

Over the last two weeks (during Our e- Learning class) I have learnt to make a digital story using Photostory. this is a great tool and could be of great use in our classrooms, students could make their own digital stories of their learning journey, create a narrative or an advocacy story, there are many possibilities and uses for this technology, I am suprised at how easy it was to use, definately a must in schools.Here is my story, have a look.photostory-the-journey-3 (If you have a Mac you may not be able to view it, but there will be no problem with PC’s)

I read the article below about two months ago. What I found interesting was that the web is described as a “push and Pull” type matrix, a two- way medium as opposed to books or televisions as a “one way proposition” (2000, p. 12), As the article goes on, It points out that many people learn through ‘story telling’, (he gives an example of repairing photocopiers)and mentions the importance of practical application of the theory that is learnt the author believes that ” on the web, each of  us is part consumer and part producer. We read and we write, we absorb and we critique, we listen and we tell stories, we help and we seek help.”  (Brown 2000, p.20) The author believes that the web promotes a learning ecology, one where ‘cross- pollination’  of ideas can occur, where ‘virtual communities’ can interact and interweave with on another (Brown 2000, p. 19).

Brown, J. S., (2002). Growing Up Digital: How the Web Changes Work, Education, and the Ways People Learn. Change, Growing Up Digital, March/April 2000, pp 10-20.

I have just read a paper about LAMS tasks which states that “the initial evaluations of LAMS in  K-12 school and university environments during 2003 have indicated LAMS have a profound impact on both learner and teacher’s conceptualisation of the learning process.” (Dalziel 2007, p 80) The article also concludes that “learner willingness to engage in whole class discussion” was dramatically increased.

Pam and I designed a LAMS task in e- learning as a homework task, with the purpose of consolidating and enhancing learning, after reading this article I think it would be great to design a further task with the purpose of encouraging online collaboration.

The article can be found in the, Dalziel, J.  (2007) Implementing learning design: The learning and activity management design. LAMS the teachers guide, August Pp 75 – 80

I read Maree’s posting on who’s teaching who, In answer to the reflection questions;

In terms of teacher professional development, I believe it’s important that teachers be educated thoroughly in the use of ICT in  all areas that pertain to our  students,  For example, If an interactive whiteboard is available for use then, I believe, that the teachers using the IWB should be shown HOW to use it, HOW to teach using a student directed approach, HOW to foster constructive  learning with it, WHAT the possibilities of use are etc.

In relation to professional development that i have experienced… the e – learning at UTS has been beneficial, if has increased my knowledge of what is available and of how to implement certain technologies.

I read your blog posting  Matthew, and viewed the links you provided. I found this posting inspiring, and really enjoyed seeing the voicethread, Web 2 tools and surface computing. All very exciting possibilities for a classroom setting. Thank you for sharing these tools.

I have just finished reading an article by Kearney and Schuck, discussing a study they performed on the use of IWB in our schools at present. It was interesting to read that reported benefits of IWB uses include “flexibility, efficiency, motivation, support of preparation, ease of use…positive effects on learning” ”The study identified over 40 different uses of IWBs in lessons”(kearney and Schuck 2008, p8, 9), however, the authors have identified those uses in a former paper (2007a) As yet, i have not seen or used an IWB so in my opinion, It would have been beneficial to have a list of the possible uses to assist me with ideas. it was a very interesting article. The study basically found that teachers were using IWBs as an organisational tool, with some use of “authentic learning…through links to current, real-world websites” (Kearney et al, p.11) The question I would pose is…  If teachers are using the IWBs as an organisational tool, in a more teacher directed fashion…Is this because they, themselves have not been educated as to the full range of uses for the tool  they posses.?

The article can be found… Kearney,M. & Schuck, S. (2008) Exploring pedagogy with interactive white boards in Australian schools. Australian Educational Computing, 23, pp 8 – 12