Reflection Task 7: Reflective Synopsis

Reflective Synopsis - Assessment Task 1

Synopsis

Digital learning is increasingly becoming one of the most prominent means of education in the 21^st Century. This is not only because technology has become a part of everyday life, but this is also due to the fact that there is more and more technology being used by classrooms. Since the beginning of this course (EDSE11024) I have contributed in the use of many different digital tools for learning. These tools consist of: blogs, websites, images, video, audio, presentation software, mapping programs, online services, interactive online services and wikis.

Legal, Safe and Ethical Issues – the Use of Technology for Learning

Copyright is an assortment of rights in certain creative works, whether it be: literary works, artistic works, musical works, computer programs, sound recordings, films and broadcasts, which can be used to stop others from copying the creative works and programs without permission

(Smartcopying.edu.au, n.d.).

The internet provides a powerful resource for learning and research skills, however that power renders risks to students and teachers. Children face the exposure to inappropriate material that is:

-       Sexually explicit;

-       Offensive;

-       Hateful;

-       Violent; and/or

-       Encouraging to dangerous or illegal activities.

There are other ways to ensure students are safe whilst using the internet. Physical danger – meeting someone online who may claim to be someone they are not. This also falls under the notion of cyber bullying which can be carried out through internet services such as e-mail, chatrooms, games, or web pages (Cybersmart.gov.au, n.d.). Mobile phone messaging is also listed under this category or cyber bullying.

Reflection on Digital Pedagogy – SAMR Model and Bloom’s Taxonomy

Before implementing these different concepts of technology into their teaching practice, teachers need to consider the benefits and implications of these digital learning tools and how to successfully and productively integrate them into education. The SAMR Model is the most effective model designed to help determine possible educational outcomes from each of the different concepts of digital learning (blogs, wikis, images, presentation tools and mapping or simulations). By creating separate scenarios (situations) and evaluating/providing a rationalisation based on the delivery method of each digital learning tool it allows teachers to have a pre-conceived idea of how to effectively and successfully teach.

I have incorporated this model (SAMR Model) into each of my six weekly reflections in this course. In each I have explained, in detail, the different ways in which the digital learning tools can be encompassed in education at each level of the SAMR Model – the Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition levels respectfully. Successfully implementing this concept into my reflections every week has been a very educational experience that in my future would benefit my teaching practice a great deal.

The First Reflection (Mobile Phone Wiki/de Bono’s Thinking Hats) I wrote on my educational blog presented me with a very beneficial and useful digital tool to utilise in the classroom. A wiki is a very malleable form of interactive, digital learning and when used in the classroom this concept can be very advantageous to students’ education. Appendix 1A provides a link to this reflection in my educational blog.

Reflection Two (Blogs, Wikis and Websites) was a very in-depth reflection about how one of these – either a blog, wiki or website – can be used to benefit the delivery of education or modify the way in which the information is being taught. From this, I learnt about creating blogs and wikis and I was able to rationalise the different levels of the SAMR Model so that I had an understanding of how to effectively incorporate my learning into a classroom. Appendix 1B provides a link to this reflection and the respective SAMR Model explaining the benefits and limitations of using a blog to teach and learn.

In the Third Reflection I completed was based on the digital learning concepts of images, video and audio. Throughout the completion of this reflection, I was able to download the software ‘Windows Movie Maker’ and have a play with its different settings and options. From this, I was qualified enough to start using the program and create a video of my own that was in relation to the discipline subject I have chosen to study – Geography. Appendix 1C provides a link to this reflection and the different levels of the SAMR Model justified.

Reflection Four was based on the digital tool - presentation. For this example of good practice, I was able to create an example presentation on the topic of Volcanoes. To create this presentation I had to access a website known as Prezi. I had no previous knowledge of the program but it was very simple to understand and operate. Appendix 1D provides a link to this reflection on presentation and displays the relevant SAMR Model used to justify this digital tool in education.

Reflection Five was based on the digital tool/s: mapping and/or simulations. In this reflection I explained the operation and details of Google Maps and justified how this online service/program could be used in education. The example subject I chose to link this digital tool to is geography. Appendix 1E provides a link to my reflection on this digital learning tool and the respective SAMR Model which gives a rationale about its use in the classroom.

Throughout my time studying these different digital learning tools and services that encourage education based on online, I have found that there are many things I did not previously know about education and its relation to the digital learning environment. This course has provided me with the knowledge to successfully incorporate digital pedagogy in my future practice.

Appendix 1A

Click here to access the first reflection.

Appendix 1B

Click here to access the second reflection.

Appendix 1C

Click here to access the third reflection.

Appendix 1D

Click here to access the fourth reflection.

Appendix 1E
Click here to access the fifth reflection.


References

Smartcopying.edu.au,. Students and Copyright. Retrieved 8 May 2015, from http://www.smartcopying.edu.au/information-sheets/schools/students-and-copyright

Cybersmart.gov.au,. Cybersmart - Internet and mobile safety advice. Retrieved 9 May 2015, from http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/

Reflection Task 6: Reflection on Blog Collaboration

Online Collaboration and Engagement in Online Learning Communities.

It is important to thinking about online learning communities throughout the duration of my teaching practice. Throughout the process of completing each embedded task (Task 1 through 5) fortnightly, I have been able to engage and collaborate in other users' blogs and provide them with feedback and/or polite comments on their own Assessment Task 1 Reflections.

Blogging has been a very effective experience for me. It has shown me new technologies and how to incorporate them into my teaching practice. By collaborating with other students' blogs I have provided them with feedback and polite comments about how I agree/disagree with or understand their blog posts and the content or information that they have produced and shared.

By having students and teachers participate in these online learning communities, it gives the student direct access to their teacher and peers regarding their learning. Although this process is asynchronous as apposed to synchronous, it allows the students to participate away from school and provide them with digital pedagogy and engagement.

Below is 'Appendix 1' and 'Appendix 2' which displays an example of blog comments I have posted/created and responded to as part of my Assessment Task 1.


APPENDIX 1:                                                             Blog Reflection 2
Evidence                                                      Collaboration and Engagement

APPENDIX 2:                                                             Blog Reflection 1
Evidence                                                      Collaboration and Engagement

Reflection Task 5: Reflection on Simulations, Interactives or Mapping

Reflection Task 5:



The technology of interactive learning objects is by far the most relevant to digital pedagogy in my opinion. This technology incorporates many other digital tools previously discussed in this blog such as: images, video, audio, and presentation. An interactive learning object can be created in the form of an educational game or purely an interactive object that encourages learning.

The settings of this technology allow the user to visualise a real-life representation of the World's streets. This can be viewed as a map or as a photograph of the Earth. It is also possible to type in a street name and house number or building number. This feature gives the user direct access to any part of the world (with a street) and provides them with a still image with a 360° view. Another great feature on this service is the ability to access directions from any location and co-ordinate them to any different location. It lists walking, bicycle and car as chosen preferences of travel between locations and gives an estimate distance and time for each. This is easily accessible through the online service. It is not possible for a user to become an author of google maps. There is no way to physically sign up for Google Maps - the only personalised segment of the service is your location. 

The idea of Google Maps is very simplistic however very abundant with opportunity to explore parts of the world you desire to see. There are some locations you can visit on Google Maps that have no roads, for example: Loch Ness in Scotland and the Pyramids in Egypt. There is no technical skill required to use this online service - the only minor difficulties users might encounter are spelling street names or navigating around the map.

The learning outcomes produced from Google Maps in education are enormous. Especially for my chosen discipline teaching area - Geography - this online service can be a very beneficial. 'Site and Situation' is a geographical term used to discuss the location of an object or area (city, subarb, street, etc). This is a very important aspect to cover when learning about geography and specifically the geography of a specific region or area. Site and Situation is about having the ability to label and discuss the whereabouts of a certain location and its incorporated information. For example, describing the location by referring to evidence surrounding the area such as a landmark, and also the longitude and latitude of the particular area. This is where Google Maps becomes a very useful tool in education as it gives students and teachers the information they need to correctly source and define and area. This is an example of how Google Maps can be used as an educational activity and is one example of the many ways it specifically relates to learning geography.

Below is the SAMR Model which has been explained to benefit the digital tools of learning objects and interactive online services. This model can be used to provide feedback and improvement upon teaching. (E.g. Geography class as an example).

Substitution Level: Rather than a printed/still image of a location or map, Google Maps can be used to explore the location and its surrounding elements. From this students can write a paragraph about 'site and situation' or discuss how increased inundation could affect an area.

Augmentation Level: There are many locations around the world that are known for their tectonic plate boundaries. It is very easy to navigate to these areas on Google Maps (e.g. San Andreas) and explore the plate boundary and its properties. This is a very useful teaching tool that allows students to visualise their content.

Modification Level: Applying knowledge to assessment tasks and homework tasks - Use Google Maps as an appendix on a task and discuss the option of two concepts to improve the area. E.g. raise the height of a specific road or construct a bypass road/overpass.

Redefinition Level: An excursion of an area selected on Google Maps to discover information and record findings based on the unit/topic under study. E.g. Ross River in Townsville - Assessment Task based on mosquitoes and their natural habitat, breeding, disease spreading, etc. Google Maps is a very useful tool here as it allows the teacher to organise an effective and productive excursion and give clear examples and information based on the area by using this online service.

Reflection Task 4: Reflection on Presentation Tools

Reflection Task 4:



The technology of presentation is a powerful aspect of education. When educating, students are watching and listening to everything the teacher says (if they are engaged) which is why it is always good practice to ensure that the presentation of lessons is very professional and engaging/interactive. The power of presentation is a great asset to implore when teaching learners. With a good presentation, students feel more involved or connected with their learning. This also gives students the ability to visualise their learning rather than only hearing the information/content being taught.

There are many ways and many forms in which a teacher can present information to a class. However presentation as a digital tool is a concept that changes the way in which students learn. There are also many different presentation software's and programs available such as Microsoft Office PowerPoint, SlideShare, Prezi, etc. The presentation software that I used to construct my example presentation was Prezi as I had never used this program prior to this reflection task (Reflection Task 4). Prezi is a web-based program but however it can be downloaded for personal use.

It is not possible to obtain multiple authors on this site/program as it is an online service with a specific 'log-in' account. The settings of this technology allow the user to access and modify the text font and colour, the theme, the background, the animations, and the order of each slide/page appearing.

Using this online service is very simple and quick. There are not as many benefits (in regards to presentation) when this software is compared to Microsoft Office PowerPoint, however it is very easy to use and therefore a very good program. Very little experience is needed to operate Prezi - maybe the same experience and skill level needed to operate Microsoft Office PowerPoint.

There are many digital tools such as images, video and audio - a good presentation should involve these tools for effective communication and learning. These presentation software's allow users to incorporate audio, images and video into their production and these can all be projected on a projector screen for a class to view. When this digital tool (presentation) involves other, smaller digital tools, this then becomes one of the most productive ways to learn. from both visual and auditory learning styles.

A class might choose to mimic an event/activity seen on a video during a presentation. For example, watching a model volcano erupt with baking soda etc. By producing step by step instructions, through the use of a presentation, students are able to clearly visualise and hear what needs to be done and therefore their understanding is at a higher level.

It is possible to view my creation of a presentation here.

Below is the SAMR Model which has been explained to benefit the digital tool of presentation. This model can be used to provide feedback and improvement upon teaching. (E.g. Geography class as an example).

Substitution Level: A Prezi-presentation could be substituted here for an analog presentation - whiteboard.

Augmentation Level: Allow the students to construct their own Prezi presentation about their current topic or as a homework task.

Modification Level: Students could generate a class Prezi (or in groups) and display it too peers or other members of the school as a formative presentation.

Redefinition Level: Students create their own Prezi's that contribute to an assessment task such as a multi-model presentation in regards to the current topic/unit of study.

Reflection Task 3: Reflection on Audio, Images and Video

Reflection Task 3:



If a still picture paints a thousand words, a video can create many more. The technology of video allows people to experience a diverse magnitude of feelings and visualisations that can persuade and develop their minds. Videos are becoming more common in the very digital, 21st Century. Videos can be found on almost any subject that you desire to watch, whether it be learning from a video or gaining entertainment from a video. This technology gives people a broader span of information. More information can be gathered from videos than still images, however there can be videos created of a group of still images. This means that images and audio can also be incorporated into video which is why this form of digital tool can contribute the most information and is the most effective to learn from.

Videos can not have multiple authors unlike other digital tools such as a wiki. The creation of a video can be divided up into as many sections with as many people working on them simultaneously however it is not possible to obtain more than one author (multi-author).

There are many video editing software's that can be purchased for business or personal use. For example, Windows Movie Maker and iMovie are very common video editing and producing software's that are available for purchase or come readily available on a registered device such as a windows computer with an essentials pack. The program I am going to discuss and use as an example is Windows Movie Maker. It is very easy to customise the tool or space in this video-producing and editing program. When using this program I was able to customise the size, colour and font of the text I used; I was able to select from a wide range of animations and transitions between videos/images; and I was also able to select audio from my directory and sync/apply my chosen audio track to my 'movie'. There are many more aspects which can be modified in Movie Maker which I have not yet completely explored. A very basic understanding of video editing programs is sufficient enough to 'get the hang of' Movie Maker. There were a few things that I didn't know how to do when I first began using the software however after fiddling around a bit longer I was able to produce the video I set out to create.

I have created an example educational video as a demonstration of this digital tool which will discussed below. Whilst creating this video I learnt how to use the program Windows Movie Maker and used my skills to produce this educational video and upload it to YouTube (the file was too big to upload here so I had to use an alternative source to link my video to my blog). This video is evident below and can be seen again at here on YouTube.

In a classroom there are many ways in which the use of videos become a very effective digital tool. For example, in a Geography class videos could be used during and after class for:

• Recording/completing homework tasks;
• Recording oral presentations;
• Multi-model presentations;
• Assignment tasks; and
• Notes - recording classes.

These are a few examples of what sorts of activities this digital tool will support.

As previously mentioned in this reflection, videos provide a much broader span of information than a still image. This is because a video contains much more than a still image - it can be accompanied with both images and audio. The learning outcomes of using this digital tool in education are immense. As displayed above, there are many different strategies available to incorporate this technology into learning. By using educational videos in schools, this allows the students to visualise their learning with clearer examples, definitions and understanding.

The video I created about The Great Barrier Reef can be used to implement all kinds of learning. My video could be presented in front of my class whilst they sit and listen. It would be beneficial for the students to take notes during this method of implementation. Another way this video could be used in learning circumstances would be to provide a link to this video on the internet or copy said video to each students' computer so that their learning could continue at home and specific homework tasks could be completed through the viewing of this educational video.

Below is the SAMR Model which has been explained to benefit the digital tool: video. This model can be used to provide feedback and improvement upon teaching. (E.g. Geography class as an example).

Substitution Level: The teacher could display a video to a class about the different Biomes in the world rather than drawing a diagram on the whiteboard.

Augmentation Level: Students can record themselves as a set homework task and give a small presentation about Biomes and what they have learnt thus far.

Modification Level: Students could complete their assessment tasks with the incorporation of video. For example, it is common for a Geography assessment task to be a twenty-minute multi-model presentation and this could be recorded and presented in front of the student's class.

Redefinition Level: Record lessons for the future. Students learn a lot during lessons at school, however if a student is distracted they do not benefit as much as a student who is engaged throughout the whole lesson. By recording classes for students to review at a later date, this gives the students a chance to look back on their previous lessons and gain a broader understanding of what is being taught. It is not only the student that benefits from this concept. Teachers are also able to look back on their practice, giving themselves feedback of how they could improve or better aid students in the future.

Reflection Task 2: Reflection on Blogs, Wikis and Websites

Reflection Task 2:



Many weblogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog). This technology of blogging has become very popular since the early 2000's and it is possible to find a blog online on almost any subject you are interested in. It is simple to keep up to date with this technology also as users have the ability to 'follow' their favourite blogs. Blogging is a simplistic and creative way to share information on the internet and would be considered very useful in educational settings.

The settings of this technology allow the author to edit the: title, description, privacy, blog address, blog authors and blog readers components of the blog. Other components that can be modified about the blog are the template, desktop layout, mobile layout, languages, formatting, advertising and links to other blogs and/or social networking sites.

It is possible to attain more than one author for a blog by adding more administrative accounts through the settings preferences of the blog. This is very divergent to the function and process of something such as a wiki. Although authors can be created/added via the settings of each blog, a wiki enables any user with access to edit and contribute information at any time given that another user is not accessing the same wiki at the same time.

Being administrator of the blog grants you the ability to make your blog public, private to blog authors, or private to readers. This means that the author has the capacity to expose/publish your blog to anyone who wishes to view it; the capacity to enable only the administrative accounts (authors) to view and edit the blog; or the capacity to enable specific readers to access and view your blog, respectively. However, viewers can easily respond and post comments which engages dialog/conversation between another person or many people including the author.

To be able to successfully operate a blog there is little technological experience required. By configuring a corresponding e-mail address to your blog and by having a play with the customisation settings such as the layout and format of your blog it is very simple to construct a very entertaining or interesting blog. Blogger makes it obvious for any user to locate and use the different available features such as adding an image, video, or link to your blog postings.

It is made very easy to customise and modify a blog. Within the settings of the blog: layout, mobile layout, and template are accessible to be customised at will with many different specifications to be changed. There are many blogging websites that are free and simple to use such as Blogger. It is very easy to navigate around Blogger and it has a very attractive layout and format that appeals to its audience.

The use of a blog in educational settings is a very productive and efficient strategy of improving student skills. For example, if a student were to complete their homework on their individual school blog it may help enhance their writing skill, writing passion, keyboard skill and expand their thoughts and their knowledge and understanding of the technology. This form of learning is a very useful and effective scheme that enables students and teachers to incorporate technology into their lives which is becoming/has become very important in daily life.

A blog is a very creative and effective way in which students can learn and complete their homework and even assessment tasks. By initiating the use of a blog in pedagogy, teachers and parents can both interact and track/monitor student learning progress, development and completion of work. This information would be very easily accessible by teachers or parents as it is only a website URL away. I have created an example blog (Mr. McDonald's Yr11 Geography) to portray a more in depth understanding of what a blog would look like/consist of if it were to be used in education. To access this 'example blog' please click here.

The example blog that I have created is a student's individual school blog which is being utilised to complete homework tasks and eventually assessment tasks. It is evident that on each date (01/06/15 and 04/06/15) the student has completed their homework for this subject (Mr. McDonald's Year 11 Geography). The teacher (Lachlan McDonald) has made a comment on one of the student's blog posts with feedback regarding his effort in the homework tasks. This is just one way in which the use of blogs in education can be made very effective.

Another way to involve the notion of a blog in educational settings is to incorporate readings, assessment tasks, class work, key terms and ideas, and teacher and student input. For example, in the example blog I have created I have made a comment as a teacher in secondary education. This could work with either a teacher or student. If a teacher were to provide feedback to a student this would be a very simple and logical method of doing so. If a teacher were to provide a blog with readings, worksheets/questions or general class work it would be very easy for the students to access these components. Within the 'comments section' of the blog post the students are able to write their individual responses.

The SAMR Model has allowed me to constructively analyse and improve upon the ways in which I could incorporate blogs into education and specifically Senior Geography. A YouTube video explaining the SAMR Model is available below:

Substitution Level: The technology would appear as an alternative to a workbook thus only substituting a blog for physical material such as exercise books and writing implements.

Augmentation Level: An example of the augmentation level in SAMR would be a class blog. Through this blog the teacher could connect to the students and their parents on a technological level and post information in regards to what and how the class is learning whilst also acquiring feedback and/or questions via comments from both parents and students.

Modification Level: At this stage in the SAMR process students would be looking at a more hands-on situation. The blogs would be in control of the students and homework tasks or class work would have to be completed in these blogs and assessed or read over by the teacher.

Redefinition Level: This is the last level of the SAMR Model. To successfully fulfill the requirements to reach the redefinition level of the SAMR Model students would need to access their individual blogs and complete subject assessment and other forms of formative assessment in order to completely utilise the technology of blogging in education.

Reflection Task 1: Mobile Phone Wiki / de Bono's 6 Thinking Hats

Reflection Task 1:


Wiki's are a good source of information as it is a website or database that is developed collaboratively by a collective of users. I found that completing this wiki gave me as much information as I equally contributed to it. Whilst completing the wiki based on "the use of mobile phone's in educational settings" I found that there was much to be learnt from the existing answers that other students have been contributing to the wiki. The use of de Bono's Six Thinking Hats is a very good system to get users to effectively think about their replies/answers to each 'hat'.

The drawbacks of participating in a wiki like this are the fact that it is unable to be edited whilst another user is accessing the same wiki. I found that my answers had been deleted the day after I had contributed them due to the fact that either: another user was also editing the wiki as I was, or another user wrote their answers/replies over mine.

The unsafe side to this concept is the idea of students meddling with the information in an inefficient and unproductive manner.

Although there are some drawbacks, being able to edit a wiki can be a useful perk, for example, when correcting or expanding on existing information. Also, I discovered many aspects of mobile phone use at school which I had not previously considered before reading through other user's answers on the wiki.

If a wiki was developed for educational purposes there would be a magnitude of benefits. Classes could access information online and take or give ideas or answers to their class discussions. It is also very useful for teachers as it is a very advantageous strategy to incorporate into teaching.