Year 6 History Unit – Immigration

Assignment 2

Task 5- Apps, mobile devices and agile learning spaces

(Anon. 2012)

Digital technologies “combined with a range of new technologies enables teachers to create learning and teaching opportunities that develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours which students require in order to live, learn and work in the 21^st century.” (DEECD, 2010, pg. 2) Incorporating modern technology tools, such as apps on tablets and iPod touches, allow students to learn beyond the traditional classroom walls. This is vital in giving them the opportunity to grow and learn, with modern technologies working hand in hand with more traditional learning tools. (Plowman, McPake & Stephen, 2008)

Incorporating mobile devices and apps into the classroom allow students to be provided flexible, open and agile learning spaces where they can complete self-directed and constructed learning.  This allows the children to take responsibility for their own learning whilst working in tandem with their peers and teachers towards an end goal.(Overington, 2011) By working in tandem with each other in these agile learning spaces, it allows the content and  pedagogy to move away from the older, more traditional teaching model. Although the curriculum does stay the same, “it’s how the children go about learning that is changing.” (Overington, 2011, pg.1)

ICT rich learning activities can be seen to increase participation, engagement and achievement from the students. By using mobile devices and tools such as apps within the classroom, cross curricular priorities are met through promoting higher order thinking as well as asking students to inquire, create, communicate, operate and understand ethical issues. (ACARA, 2010) Students are able to form connections and grow their learning with other learners and teachers anywhere in the global community using resources such as emails and blogs.

As stated in an article by the State of Victoria’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, mobile devices “improved opportunities for students to control the construction of knowledge and to learn through collaboration and conversation.” (DEECD, 2010, pg.3)They help meet and boaster cross curricular priorities whilst promoting higher order thinking through taxonomies such as Blooms. This taxonomy has being revised in recent years to factor in the growth of the digital revolution and now focuses on creating, evaluating, analysing, applying, understanding and remembering. (Williams, N.D) These changes furthermore promote the positive use of digital technologies in a collaborative learning environment.

Integrating and embedding digital technologies such as apps and mobile devices in the classroom “can positively impact on student engagement and motivation, including improving their confidence levels, attitudes towards their own learning, and behaviour as well as decreasing absenteeism.” (DEECD, 2010, pg.3) These digital tools provide unlimited learning opportunities to both students and teachers, giving them the ability to not only access information, but to be an integral and active component in the global community. They encourage students to share and communicate with others, promote higher order thinking and maximise learning through collaborative and personalised learning spaces. This allows the pedagogy and curriculum to work in tune with the technology to help students “meet the demands of an increasingly globalised and interconnected world in the 21^st century.” (DEECD, 2010, pg.2)

 

Week 5 Reference List:

ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). The Australian curriculum: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities. Retrieved on 10^th March, 2013 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Information-and-Communication-Technology-capability/Organising-elements/Organising-elements

Anonymous (2012) iPads: Perform, Create, Learn. Retrieved April 18^th 2012 from http://www.midnightmusic.com.au/ipads-perform-create-learn-18-july-2012-gold-coast/

Bittman, M., Brown, J., Rutherford, L. & Unsworth, L. (2012) Australian Institute of Family Matters: Family Matters No. 91.Digital Natives? New and old media and children’s language acquisition.  Retrieved 12^th April from http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/fm2012/fm91/fm91b.html

Overington, C. (2011) Funky School. Retrieved 11^th April from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/funky-school/story-e6frg8h6-1226130668112

Plowman, L., McPake, J. & Stephen, C. (2008) Just Picking it up? Young Children Learning with technology at home. Cambridge Journal of Education, 38(3), 393-319.

State of Victoria, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (2010) In Your Hands, iPads For Learning: Getting Stated, Classroom ideas for learning with the iPad. Student Learning Division, Melbourne.

Williams, A. (N.D) 4001EDN ICT and Pedagogy Week 5 Lecture Materials : Blooms and Technology Integration. Retrieved from Griffith University, School of Education, Learning @ Griffith web site: https://bblearn.griffith.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_3460_1%26url%3D

Task 2- Web 2.0 Tools and TPACK

( Anon, N.D.)

Unlike traditional resources that have offered stability throughout the years; for example books and pencils, technology is a rapidly changing teaching tool that requires teachers to constantly evolve their understanding and skills.  Teachers must “recognise the features of technology that grant students access to a broader community and knowledge base beyond the walls of the classroom.” (Mumtaz, 2006, Pg. 325) Not only must teachers keep up with these rapid changes but they must also utilise the technology within the classroom by including it as an addition tool in their pedagogy and using it as a support to convey and construct the content in which they are encompassing.  “By simultaneously integrating knowledge of technology, pedagogy and content, expert teachers bring TPACK into play any time they teach.” (Koehler & Mishra, 2009, pg. 66)

Teachers have cited numerous reasons for not using technology as a part of their content and pedagogical delivery such as, lack of experience, support, availability and time. (Mumtaz, 2006) This leads to students being provided with limited and repetitive work in the classroom.  Teachers have also stated that they are not given enough time to understand the tool, how it works and how they can utilise it most effectively within the classroom. “Teachers who resist change are not rejecting the need for change but are often expected to lead developments when they are given insufficient long-term opportunities to make sense of the new technologies for themselves” (Mumtaz, 2006, pg. 321)They feel at times as if they are less capable then the students. Teachers must understand that their role has changed and they are required to learn together with the students in a co-constructivist environment.

The Australian Curriculum focuses on five key drivers in relation to the general capabilities expected around ICT learning’s within Australian schools. They are: inquiry, create, communicate, and operate and ethical issues. (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2010) By engaging these drivers and TPACK within the learning experiences both teachers and students must explore “alternative ways of looking at the same idea or problem.”(Koehler & Mishra, 2009, pg.64) It must be seen that “the choice of technologies affords and constraints the types of content ideas that can be taught.” (Koehler & Mishra, 2009, pg.65) To do this, the teacher and students need to look beyond the common uses of the web2.0 tools and create an understanding of the pros and cons of the technological tools they are using.  This than can lead to the content knowledge being delivered within the classroom in multiple formats that are adapted and tailored to not only the learners needs and their prior knowledge but to obtaining the most effective outcome available with the web 2.0 tools.  (Koehler & Mishra, 2009)

Technology must be seen as a tool and a solution to help teachers and students fully engage with the TPACK framework and the expectations of the Australian curriculum. Teachers must embrace ICT tools within the classroom and understand that technology has become an inherent part of day to day life outside so the classroom, therefore it must also become an integral part of day to day life within the classroom. Whilst teachers have high “beliefs regarding what should be in the curricula (content) and the way in which their subjects should be taught (pedagogy)” (Koehler & Mishra, 2009, pg. 323) they must also put aside their mindsets and fears of the unknown to create problem based, collaborative learning activities for their students that fully incorporate technology, content and pedagogy.

Week 2 Reference List:

ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). The Australian curriculum: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities. Retrieved on 10^th March, 2013 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Information-and-Communication-Technology-capability/Organising-elements/Organising-elements

Anonymous (N.D) 12 Sure-Fire Ways to Motivate Students. Retrieved 18th April, 2013 from http://www.teachhub.com/12-sure-fire-ways-parents-and-teachers-can-work-together-motivate-students?k12-news

Koehler, M.J. & Mishra, P. (2009) What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contempory Issues in Technology and Teacher Education,9(1),60-70.

Mumtaz, S (2006) Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education: Factors affecting teachers’ use of information and communications technology: a review of literature. pgs.319-342. Doi:10.1080/14759390000200096

Task 3 – QR Codes and Starkeys Digital Learning Matrix

(Coutts, 2011)

Tasks that integrate QR codes and/or referenced learning spaces provide students the opportunity to build their knowledge and understanding in a learner-centred constructivist environment compared to the traditional teaching environments which are teacher directed. (Prestridge, 2011) This is a valued learning environment as “students create knowledge in the digital era through connections in an open and flexible curriculum, rather than the teacher transmitting the ‘trust’ and methodologies of a subject”. (Starkey, 2010, p. 242)

In this constructivist environment, the learning is designed to be on par with the creating and sharing knowledge level outlined in Starkey’s digital learning matrix. (Starkey, 2010) Within the sharing knowledge level, the learning is focused towards presenting the information and the students engaging in and sharing their knowledge with others. This can be completed in many different environments with for example the QR code leading to a blog which can be an appropriate format for the children to continue accessing and sharing knowledge with each other in the local and global community. When analysing Starkey’s matrix, it is seen that the students need to be provided opportunities to access information, present and process information, use interactive programs and communicate using digital technologies. (Starkey, 2008) By using referenced learning spaces students initiate the digital learning by viewing and processing information, creating their own conceptual understanding as well as allowing an opportunity for them to enhance their knowledge on different materials, motivations and ideas.

Through authentic problem based collaborative learning activities, ICT’s can be used to construct knowledge in the classroom. (Prestridge, 2011)  Referenced learning spaces such as QR codes allow this integration to occur. These spaces can lead to learning environments that give students the chance to express their findings and understandings, provide their research and communicate and co-construct ideas with others, allowing them the chance to relate it to real life practices. (Prestridge, 2011)  Teachers can create these learning activities so that they incorporate the general capabilities for ICT outlined within the Australian curriculum; inquiring, creating, communicating, operating and looking at ethical issues (ACARA, 2010)

ICT’s have become an integral part of day to day living within the 21^st century, from how we communicate, share and co-construct with members of the global community. ICT’s are embraced outside of the school community and seen as a necessary tool in the world we are preparing our students for; therefore we must embrace them and make them a necessary teaching and learning tool within the classroom. QR codes and referenced learning spaces provide an opportunity for students take a hold of the opportunities that the digital era and technology have made available to them with access to information and ideas as well as people from a wide range of sources within the global community at any given time; (Starkey, 2008) therefore making the digital classroom a reality for the students of tomorrow. These learning activities have a student centred focus that allows both the teacher and learner the chance to use strategies that encompasses digital recourses and technologies. (Prestridge, 2011)

 

Week 3 Reference List:

ACARA Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). The Australian curriculum: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities. Retrieved on 14^th March, 2013 from http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Information-and-Communication-Technology-capability/Organising-elements/Organising-elements

Coutts, T. (2011) The CORE Education Blog. Exploring QR Codes with Children. Retrieved from http://blog.core-ed.org/blog/2011/10/exploring-qr-codes-with-children.html

Prestridge, S. (2011) Computers and Education. The beliefs behind the teacher that influences their practices. Pgs.449-458. Doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2011.08.028

Starkey, L. (2008) Evaluating learning in classroom activities using digital technologies. Paper presented at ACEC 2008, Canberra.

Starkey, L (2010) Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice. Teachers’ pedagogical reasoning and action in the digital age. pgs.233-234. Doi:10.1080/13540600903478433